


A Girlfriend For Valentine's Night

by LeeAusten



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom, Regina Emma - Fandom, Regina Mills - Fandom, Regina Mills Emma Swan - Fandom, swan queen - Fandom, swan queen once upon a time - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen - Freeform, Swan Queen Once Upon a Time, regina emma, regina emma swan queen, regina mills once upon a time, regina mills ouat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:07:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 50,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25577053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeAusten/pseuds/LeeAusten
Summary: (Previously posted on FF.net with 269 reviews and 247 favorites)After dreading the thought of spending Valentine's night alone, Emma decides to make a really corny wish. To share a dinner with her 'soul mate'. But what happens when the real deal shows up? Will she be prepared for what's to come?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Regina Mills Emma Swan - Relationship, Swan Queen, regina emma - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 125





	1. The Wish

Sometimes the loss of a loved one oftentimes force us to reflect. To delve into the affairs of the heart and reassess everything we had ever sacrificed and cried over, just to be with someone. Just to commit to them. To stick around.

He was there, but he was never enough.

Killian was the kind of man who stood like a chess piece, and if he couldn't conquer the board, he would feel separated from the initial purpose. And just like that, when there was no shining jewel on the horizon, he would pack his bags and leave.

Emma sighed, fingering the stem of the fresh rose between her fair fingers. The stem had grown warmer from the constant caress. The petals were still clustered together and softened from freshness. But she was somehow losing faith.

Blonde tendrils caressed those flushed cheeks, and for some odd reason, the coolness of the air did not envelope her in a soothing cloud that would offer some kind of refreshing atmosphere. No.

Instead she stood there leaning a hip onto the concrete ledge where just inches away, the drop was more than five floors down. Below was being swept by with traffic traveling down Main Street. And because it was Tuesday night, possibly one of the busiest nights in February, Storybrooke seemed to be pulsating with the warmth of love all around.

Valentine's day.

Had she even thought about this a couple months before, then the possibility of being single would have seemed so ludicrous.

Killian had been a promising factor in her life. He had been enough. At the time when their lives met, she could have believed that he was the one. Until his ambitions led astray, and he couldn't stick around. But deciding to take his life to sea again, sailing into the unknown.

The blonde inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering close and although the very thought pained her to conjure up, she focused on that anyway.

Her fingers wrapped around the lamp, still warm from the entity dwelling inside. Reminiscing quickly on how Jasmine had passed the artifact over, after failing to save a place she had once called home. And the very thought of even residing in a town where she began to drift out of place felt so daunting on her. So…dreadful. Almost as if the very essence of life was being rearranged, pieces missing.

Emma suddenly felt as if she didn't belong.

Just like Jasmine.

She needed a new start. And not just something random like fling with someone who claimed that they cared but left anyway. But something more. Something that was derived from certainty. Something that would lead somewhere with purpose.

In other words, Emma refused to chase the wind again, settling instead of thinking permanent instead of without clarity that whatever path chosen wouldn't lead nowhere.

This hadn't been anyone else's idea.

This was all on her.

It had to be done. Regardless of what may happen.

Gripping the handle of the lamp with one hand, she braced herself and gingerly massaged the side of it. Feeling the coolness seep into the tips of her fingers. And the feeling of knowing that great power inhabited within. Power that could at least change something.

When Aladdin appeared, of course she wasn't surprised that his presence was revealed. No. Nervousness twisted those features of a blonde woman who had become slightly desperate. And he immediately noticed the change in her demeanor.

"It's great to see you," Aladdin said, flashing a somewhat toothy grin. "All's well?"

Emma nodded stiffly, eyes downcast, and hands shoved in her pockets. "Yeah."

Of course he waited the verdict, lingering near and studying her face. But when seconds seemed to slip by, it was time to urge her on. Time to at least do what he was now assigned to.

"What will it be then?" His voice wasn't muffled by the sound of a truck racing by.

Emma levelled her eyes with him finally and swallowed hard. Could she even say it? Could she even form words from a thought that seemed even more ridiculous as the time passed by?

"I want…" she licked her lips, feeling the pressure on her lungs. "I might want something that could be impossible. But I just want to try. Even if it's a wish that might be lost."

"Nothing should be considered as a loss," Aladdin assured her with a small smile. "Once you want it, and you wish for it, there's a purpose. However, I do have to remind you that every wish comes with a price."

"Yeah, yeah," she acknowledged his words. "I know that part."

"Then…go ahead," he urged, wondering what was coming.

Asking her to continue as if it was that easy.

But she had to.

"I've never asked for much in my life," Emma began in a softer tone. She sighed, and shook her head. "In fact, I've always had to work for what I've wanted. But when it comes to love, it's just…it's never enough for me. It doesn't work out at all. They always leave because…" she had to admit it, "because maybe I'm not the right one. Maybe something's wrong with me. Maybe this all has to do with me being the saviour."

"Maybe it can be that," Aladdin returned. The wind ruffled his hair a bit. "But we are all in charge of where our lives lead. We can change things. We can act against fate."

"But does it ever work?" her voice was strained. Their eyes were on each other.

Aladdin shrugged. "You'll only know if you try."

She would seem so stupid.

Of all the things she could wish for.

Emma stalled, standing there like a wounded warrior with her head bent. Even the rose appeared more erect than her posture in comparison, as if awaiting the evening to unfold and the opportunity to present itself to someone. Someone that would finally be worth it.

"I just don't want to be alone tonight," Emma croaked, her chest already crumbling from the thought of feeling so hopeless and so lonely. "I want to just be happy. I want you to just find my soul mate or whatever you would call them. So that I can finally see who this idiot is, who I've been waiting for and playing games for. And we can finally…punch each other for spending so much time apart. And we can have…dinner or something."

"Woah," Aladdin held up his hands with a small smile. "Easy there. It's either three wishes or a long wish with details. Hand it to me just how you want it."

"Okay," Emma exhaled long, trying to settle herself. Trying to gather composure.

There was no turning back now.

"Find me my soul mate so that we can share drinks together and dinner."

"Done," he said almost immediately.

At first, it seemed to the blonde as if he was the insane one. As if he was a lunatic for even allowing her words to make any kind of reference to something logical. A logical wish. After all, the actuality of a soul mate existing was only proven in her parents. Their union. One pair that had lasted for years and years to come. And Regina. But that hadn't ended well, did it?

But to stand there and ask for a wish to be granted that included her as a party in the contract? It seemed rather farfetched. Like what were the odds of this actually panning out exactly the way she wanted it? And had she even given all of this some kind of thought?

Suppose someone appeared that she couldn't even like? What if he was ugly? What if he was totally out of shape and he smelled? Would she still want him then?

These details seemed so worrisome.

However, Aladdin clicked his fingers.

Three seconds after, nothing happened.

They were alone, with the sound of crickets chirping and the occasional rumble of vehicles passing by. The wind flapped a flag on a pole just across the street. A trashcan lid was tossed aside, clattering in an alleyway. And still nothing happened.

"Seems like your order might take a while to process," he said with a shrug, a comical expression on that boyish face.

Just as she was fumbling with the black straps on her bag, about to delve in to retrieve a pulsating mobile, a purple haze initiated right before her.

Emma stopped fussing about and stared.

The swirling grew faster, the color lighter. She knew that color. Emerald eyes rested on the spot before her as butterflies flapped around in that aching chest. And she gripped the straps of the bag tighter, awaiting the obvious arrival of her soul mate.

But when the smoky haze began to fade away, the outline of someone was evident. The haze thickened around the person's upper body but dissolved faster around that blood red trench coat. Knee high black boots. She was slowly losing the power to control her lungs. To even take a full breath.

Even as the figure before her took on more substance, and as those smirking red painted lips were highlighted, Emma couldn't hide away her gasp. In fact, she stepped back, knees growing weak. She felt her throat become so parched when dark hair around a very familiar face materialized. Dark, silky hair that always seemed to catch her attention.

Those brown eyes blinked slowly, eyelashes fluttering as their gaze connected.

Emma felt as if she would die.

Aladdin wasn't slow to conceal his astonishment in the scene unfolding gradually.

The blonde swallowed hard. "Regina?"

It couldn't be. No. This was just a ridiculous delusion that would end very fast.

The brunette's lips parted a little as a look of surprise washed over her face. She was disturbed by her new surroundings. Terribly confused and her eyes swept the area, then back to the woman standing before her.

"What…am I doing here?" the husky quality of her voice seemed to stir something up deep down inside the blonde.

"I…" she couldn't speak. She couldn't form words. Emma tried very hard to get her brain working again. "I don't know."

Regina stared at her. "Well you must have done something –"

"I didn't –"

"I was just about to sit down with a good novel in front of my fireplace and…" she splayed out her arms, those black buttons shining, "…here I am."

Emma's chest heaved. The actuality of knowing all of the details on her end seemed to suck the blonde into a hole that threatened to kill her.

"What are the two of you up to?" Regina inquired, narrowing her eyes. "I thought that you would very well be occupied tonight, Emma."

"Well she…" Aladdin seemed to wish more than anything else to progress things. Because he was so fascinated in this revelation. "She kind of made a wish…"

The brunette waited a few seconds, those intense brown eyes focused on the only man in their presence. "A wish?"

"That involves you," he spurted out.

Emma turned to glare at him, as if warning that he shouldn't continue.

"I mean, she didn't know that it would involve _you_ , in a manner of speaking," he explained, digging a deeper hole. Aladdin shrugged. "It just happened that way."

"What on earth did you wish for?" Regina scrutinized the younger woman's face, gloved hands shoved into the pockets of her trench coat.

The wind was harsh. Not only her cheeks felt numb, but also her fingertips. "I really don't know how this happened…" Emma explained.

"Go on…" The brunette took one step closer.

Emma blinked fast. She faced a dead end.

"Look, for crying out loud, she wished to spend Valentine's night with her soul mate," Aladdin broke the useless path of the conversation. "All in all, she doesn't want to be alone tonight. So her wish was granted. And you…" he gestured at the brunette, "…materialized in front of us. So it appears as if the wish worked."

Regina was staring at Emma as if she had gone mad. And gradually, a look of complete awe washed over her face.

"Now can I go?" Aladdin pressed on. He gestured to the lamp the blonde still had hooked between her fingers. "I'd like to leave you two alone."

Within seconds, he had willed himself to slip into the nozzle of the artifact with a low whizzing sound that seemed to be muffled by the beating of the younger woman's heart. A heart that was racing fast. That was thumping loudly.

"What he said," Emma pointed out. "I made a wish."

"You…what?" Regina practically whispered.

The lack of harshness in the other woman's tone only seemed to sharpen the blow on Emma's heart and mind.

She swallowed hard again. "I don't know how in the hell this happened. Honestly."

Things weren't supposed to unfold this way. Not when she had been mentally envisioning a man. Not when the opposite gender showed up and she was presented with a very complicated situation that involved no other than Regina Mills. Someone she had slowly grown to like. But never accepting that she _like_ liked her.

Did she like her so much that a wish swayed the entirety of the events in that way? That somewhere deep down inside of both of them, a little ball of mushiness existed that was formed from the meshing of their souls?

Of course the brunette was still baffled. "Let me get this straight. You wished to spend tonight with your…soul mate, am I correct?"

The younger woman could only nod once. She felt cornered. This was slowly becoming confrontational, and she hated those kind of situations between the two of them.

"This…" Regina inclined her head and stared ahead, "this is unbelievable." She immediately began to pace the area between them in small strides.

Nervousness showed. Something that unsettled the blonde even more because when she had hoped to be presented with a merely surprised and utterly astonished woman, the brunette seemed to be fluttery. Her nerves seemed to be jittery. Her gloved hands flexed and folded back together.

"I mean, I didn't expect…you," Emma admitted. "But you're better than a Peter Griffin, I guess."

"A who?" the brunette was confused.

"He's this guy from…" the younger woman rolled her eyes. "Ah, never mind."

"Wishes must have gone haywire because of tonight," Regina suddenly seemed to be totally convinced. She stared at the blonde. "That's it. Somehow your wish got mixed up. Your words possibly were lost in translation. All of this is completely unbelievable."

"I was thinking the same –"

"But then," the brunette interrupted, on a roll from some kind of passion that had been initiated from a fountain of feels, "had this been a complete mix up, then the genie would have known something. He seemed confident in the result. What is this?" her head snapped around and those brown eyes penetrated emerald ones. "What kind of voodoo is this?"

"Calm down," Emma held up her hands and smiled a little, becoming humored by the other woman's out of character antics.

"I want to get back to my book!" Regina pointed out. "Before my fireplace, in the comfort of my own damn home."

"Now I feel somewhat offended," the blonde frowned.

"Don't take this personally but I've always chosen the company of books over people."

"I thought you always made an exception for me?" Emma tried. But the joke didn't quite lead to the reaction she expected. Although her smile signaled that she had played with the idea, the other woman stared back, her eyes slightly widening.

"What makes you think that you're so special to me?" Regina tried.

Emma didn't hold back. "I don't know. The fact that you…seem to always want to save me. Like you've become my saviour?"

For a long time, Regina didn't respond. She latched her gaze onto the other woman and wouldn't back down. Slowly, her fingers slackened. Her stiff shoulders relaxed a little. Then the most incredulous changed occurred. It was almost as if someone had flipped on a switch somewhere in the brunette's maintenance room. Because suddenly, her features softened and she blinked slowly at the blonde.

"Dinner, you said?" Regina's voice was gentle.

It couldn't be. It was Emma's turn to stare back. "That's what…I wished for."

The brunette inhaled deeply. Suddenly, she showed a small smile that grew. "I know just the place."

What?

Emma couldn't breathe.

"Does that mean that you…" she couldn't continue.

The wind came in and swept up dark tendrils. Those brown eyes were on fire. "That I accept that we're soul mates? Have you?"

The question seemed so easy to answer. She wanted to say no. But deep down inside something else fluttered. Something…frightening. Something that pulled at her heart strings and played a tune that flickered up passion. Want. Need. All of that scared her.

"I…don't know."

"You hesitated," Regina noted, her tone seeming to take on a quality that was gentler than usual. "Why?"

"I…" Emma shrugged. She avoided eye contact. "I guess that when you get something you don't expect, you're allowed to be confused."

The brunette remained silent.

The air was so peaceful all at once. It seemed as if neither of them had noticed the change.

"How about that dinner and drinks?" Emma tried, her voice trembling a little. She tried to smile but a lopsided one was offered instead. "I think it's high time the two of us talk. Alone."

"You say it as if you were always hoping for that to happen," Regina's chest heaved.

"Maybe that's it."

"And that…soul mate thing?"

Emma bit her lips. She lowered her eyes and smiled. "Maybe deep down inside I knew that you'd show up. And no one else."

That was enough to weaken the brunette's knees.

She stood there, staring.


	2. It's A Date

"This is where you're going to bring us?" Regina gestured at the open terrace that overlooked the water edge. "On our first date?"

Emma had been sipping on her soda, sucking on the little red straw. But then when those words were uttered, she felt the liquid directed into the wrong passage. And a coughing session ensued.

A date.

She thought it was a date.

Well it was a full moon, so maybe the wolves alone weren't howling but somewhere in this universe, Cupid was drinking heavily and throwing love darts in their direction.

"Better you had wished for a fancy dinner instead of this…crap," Regina scowled. She glared as Emma rested the paper bags containing the food onto the ledge. "I could take us somewhere better. I said that I'd take us somewhere better. Instead you bring me to this…windswept space that will be a disaster to my hair."

"Oh stop whining and sit down," the blonde was growing flustered. She smiled a little though.

"Or else what?" the older woman smirked back. "You'll push me off the ledge?"

"Bet you'll sprout wings so fast, you wouldn't even realize it." Emma swung a leg over the concrete ledge, about two feet wide.

Whilst she was busy setting out their boxes on the space between the standing brunette and herself, the loud crash of the waves on the shore seemed to settle her nerves.

At times, the ocean soothed her. Which is why that had been one of those spots. A memorable one. Because everywhere she ventured to, Emma tried to find somewhere special to remember. And upon the terrace on the fourth floor of a dilapidated building that had been vacant for quite some time, that was her spot.

"Why order noodles with sauce and veggies alone?" she watched the brunette use her fork inside the square container. "Why not a piece of meat?"

"Because this is my body. This is my choice. And instead of shoving meat down my throat, I'd rather eat healthy. Healthier than you." Regina gestured at the other woman's container that was filled with fried chicken and rice. "A Queen eats likes one."

"If you say so, man," Emma gave up. "If you say so, your Majesty."

Both of them stared at each other with the blonde's lips twitching from holding back a bout of laughter. Regina's stare was full on intense, but she ended up lowering her eyes, smiling a bit.

They ate together in silence.

Where the blonde had planted herself with legs apart on the ledge, the older woman was merely seated sideways upon the same stretch of concrete. And every so often, she gracefully folded and unfolded her legs to accommodate the ease of posture.

"Look, I'm going to say it anyway," Emma finally said whilst she spooned up some more rice, "but I never expected this…to be sharing a meal with you on Valentine's night."

Regina 'hmmphed' and nodded. She clipped up a piece of carrot and chewed on it delicately. "I never imagined this either."

"Not that I'm complaining," the blonde nodded, eyes downcast. "You saw how shocked I was when you showed up back there. Didn't expect that at all."

"Soul mates." Regina's hoarse laughter curled the younger woman's toes within her boots. "How in the world would that even be possible? It's obvious that you're pining over Hook and as for me…well," she studied her fork, slowly twirling it around. "I'm doomed to be alone for the rest of my life."

"Don't say that," Emma stretched out a boot and nudged the older woman's right calf.

She hated to see her in such low spirits. Even after Robin had died, the blonde's only wish was for her to find a way to bring a smile back on that pretty face.

"And Hook's gone," she finally confessed, realizing that Regina hadn't the faintest idea and it had been about two weeks. "We're not together anymore."

Brown eyes widened. She paused chewing. "Gone to where?"

Emma sighed. She gestured out into the expanse of water. Lights flickered on the other side. "Away from me and towards the next best shiny chest of treasure he could get his hands on." She couldn't care less. "In other words, we're both on the same page."

For a while, Regina said nothing. The blonde slowly resumed eating but the older woman did not. She sat there silently studying Emma's face.

"You deserve better," she finally said. "It was never him."

"Which is why Cupid must be having a fit about this," the blonde pointed out. She chewed on her chicken and decided to gaze out into the rushing waves. "He's always playing me."

"I might possibly be the least likely person you'd hope to be with," Regina said in all honesty. "But look on the bright side. At least some other reformed villain didn't show up. Instead, it's me."

"Yeah," Emma couldn't look at her. Those words weighed down. Those words affected her heart.

"And I'd rather talk to you than read a book any day," the brunette confessed. "There's something about you that unsettles me in a good way."

How was she supposed to react to that statement? In all honesty, the very fact that Regina was complying to all of this was more than what she could bear.

"And by unsettle, you mean?" She was fishing. But she needed to hear more.

The brunette played with her fork. She studied it. "You stir up something inside of me. Something…quite frightening but soothing. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that you're the only person who reaches a deeper part of me that no one else has ever gone. Not even Robin. Nor Daniel. No one but myself." Regina's voice cracked. "You've gotten in there and you know when to snuggle up and make yourself at home. And I think that you're quite aware of your privilege in getting through to me on that level. And you use it to piss me off."

Emma's heart was melting. She was trembling. "Come on, I don't want to piss you off…"

"Like when we fell out over Marian. You kept coming and coming after me. Just because you were certain of knowing exactly how far you could reach…inside of me," Regina curled her shoulders forward and appeared too softened.

Emma collected her soda and sucked on the straw.

"Thank you again for the rose," Regina gestured to the flower peeping out from the breast pocket of her coat. "May it never wither as long as our friendship lasts."

Friendship.

She could live with that.

But why was she even thinking of anything more than them just being friends? Was it the simple fact that when they were together, she felt much more comfortable than with anyone else?

Truth be told, she had seemed to develop a crush on the other woman a few months ago. Back when those emerald eyes had latched onto how romantic Regina could become when in love. How she used to shower all her affections on Robin. How she used to kiss him so deeply. How she would become a mushy ball of feels when the very thought of romance settled in the air.

Maybe she wanted something like that.

Maybe she always wanted to be on the receiving end instead of giving.

"What if it's all true?" she found herself admitting, laying it all there in the open.

Regina had already finished her noodles and was slowly sipping on her fruit juice. "What if what is true?"

"What if…maybe I caused this to happen? You showing up tonight?" She couldn't breathe but she wanted to continue.

"You mean, it was purposeful?" Brown eyes widened. The older woman seemed to want to sweep back the curtains in front of Emma's eyes. She wanted to delve deeper.

"Yeah, like maybe I've always wanted this. You know," the straw was clipped between her lips just at the corner, "something more between us."

The wind lifted dark tendrils. Regina stared back. "Okay."

"No I mean like, I feel this connection with you," Emma brought her fears to the forefront, "I've always felt it. It's something I could never explain. But every time we've fallen out with each other, I felt as if I'd have a mini heart attack."

The brunette's cheeks coloured.

"I'm babbling, but what if this means something?"

"You mean, is it possible that we're soul mates? Regina asked, her fingers wrapped around the cup, beads of sweat draining down the sides. "I don't know, Emma. Are you trying to tell me that you're in love with me?"

Her chest felt as if it would explode into tiny pieces after that question was asked. After she found herself slipping deeper and deeper into a pool that threatened to drown her. Someplace where nothing seemed possible anymore.

It wasn't just a simple question.

It was like having her try to pick apart every piece of that aching heart. Knowing that there was some truth in the affirmative answer. Knowing that perhaps this was just where she was about to fall and she wished more than anything in the world for someone to understand all of it.

For someone to at least gaze upon her with nonjudgmental eyes.

Regina had never been completely dull in offering criticisms or yanking her off the wrong path. Because she had always done the same to the brunette. She had always been harsh with the truth just as the older woman seemed to be. But what about this current affair of the heart? What about realizing that every single word that drifted through Regina's lips seemed to have a heavier weight than any other before?

"I don't know anymore, Regina," her voice had grown so rusty, she couldn't conceal how affected she was by the whole discussion. "I've lost every person I gave a chance to. Neal, Killian. There were others. I lost them because I didn't have my priorities straight and they ended up letting go. And maybe…"

Their eyes connected.

"Maybe the problem wasn't them. The problem was me."

"Haven't I oftentimes told you to cease the self-blame?" Regina reminded her in a soft tone. "To build up more confidence in yourself?"

"Yeah but you don't get it," Emma croaked, the straw falling from between her lips as the cup slipped lower within her grasp.

"Then by all means, show me reason," the brunette gestured for the other woman to proceed. "Explain all of this to me. At least you can be certain that whatever you tell me, I will never tell another soul. And between us, you have someone who will listen to you, and whatever you say to me, I will not judge you. I will try as best as I can to relate and if I cannot relate, I will either sympathize or accept what you have to say."

Emma felt behind her throat stinging all of a sudden. Hot tears threatened to come forth and for some odd reason, she began to feel somewhat dizzy.

"I…think that you wouldn't get it even if I try to explain."

Regina sighed. Emma hung her head, blonde hair falling forward and she seemed lifeless for a minute or two. Which gave the older woman time to play back what had been said between the two of them. The things that weren't said. Reading between the lines. Trying to find something that would not lead her astray.

She needed to proceed with caution.

"Talk to me, Emma." And when nothing came out of that, but a sigh in response, the brunette slowly edged nearer, closing the distance between the two of them. "Come on. I'm listening."

"I don't go easy on explaining certain things" the blonde reminded the other woman.

Regina nodded. "I know that. I know that you aren't generous in expressing your feelings. Neither was I until Robin came along and forced me to realize that once you feel something for someone, maybe it's better to be honest, not only with yourself but with the other person."

Emma said nothing.

She couldn't.

Robin hadn't been an ally. He had been competition. Finding herself wishing Regina's attention span wasn't divided, and focused apart from her. Because when he came into their life, with him came a truckload of feels and commitment. With him came more drama. And that had forced the blonde in a corner; something she never aimed to achieve with the older woman.

"Emma, it's okay if you think that you might have feelings for me," Regina tried to soothe her words. "Nothing's wrong that."

"How's the juice?" the blonde tried to steer the conversation somewhere else.

But the older woman wasn't going to back down. "Truth be told, when I lost Robin, I began to develop feelings for you. Or maybe those feelings had been there even before him. But I began to feel something."

Emma lifted her eyes and gazed back.

She held her breath.

Just like that, it was so easy for some people to confess how they really felt. Just like that, Regina not only expressed in all honesty what the truth entailed, but she also did so whilst maintaining eye contact.

Some people were just so brave. Whilst others tended to hold back. Emma realized that that brick wall Snow had been talking about a few years ago, that same wall was still present. Behind her emerald eyes, there was a cage around that heart that longed to be loved but she wouldn't let it. She wouldn't open up just enough.

And here was Regina, expressing herself in a way that signaled that there was more than friendship between them.

Just like that.

"You're not alone in this. And for that matter, yes I was completely shocked to find myself in front of you this evening and to learn of the wish you asked for. But gradually, my demeanor changed because for the first time in a long time," Regina smiled and seemed breathless, "I felt as if I wasn't going to crash and I wasn't going to fall hard on my ass because maybe if it isn't a whole lot, you seem to feel the same way about me even if it's a little bit."

She couldn't believe any of it.

Emma felt as if she was sinking into a dream where the two of them were in close proximity but the actuality of everything falling into place this way wasn't possible. Because all her life she had wanted something different. Something other than being with a man who lacked feelings and couldn't hold his shit together.

And even though Regina was far from that at times, even though she could fall apart and crumble, it was always Emma who seemed to cement those shards back together. Both of them cushioned each other when they least expected it.

"Say something to me," the brunette pleaded with her eyes. "At least a simple string of words that may give a little hope that I'm not completely mad after all."

Emma actually chuckled after that. "You wouldn't believe if I told you that I thought I was the mad one."

With one wave of her hand, Regina summoned up two glasses. A bottle of whiskey appeared between the two of them, replacing the boxes and plastic cutlery.

"Both of us seem to be slipping off the edge," the older woman tipped the bottle over to fill one glass after the other. "Now," she lifted one and handed it to Emma. When their fingers brushed, emerald eyes widened a little whilst brown ones softened, "let's have that drink you wished for…with your soul mate."

Stunned as she was still by the other woman using the title between them, Emma clinked their glasses together.

Both of them sipped Regina's choice of poison.


	3. Deep Conversations

She couldn't believe how they could easily open up to each other. Words were flowing out naturally. Things were being said in all honesty. In fact, she didn't feel the need to check her words. Confessing certain things to the older woman appeared to come without feeling tense. And over and over again, Emma found herself believing that Aladdin's granted wish hadn't been tampered with.

But what they shared was entirely genuine.

"I used to think that was true," Emma tossed her blonde hair to one side and the wind played with the strands.

The brunette was caressing the rim of the glass with her thumb, slowly.

"Like you know, if I really believed long and hard enough in some rich family coming to adopt me, then maybe I'd be better off. But then…" she shrugged, "I realized that not even money could mean that a family knows about love."

"Quite wise at six," Regina noted.

"Even before I was six I used to steal away into the movies by myself," a small smile played on the blonde's lips as she reminisced. "I used to grab just enough money from one of my foster siblings and I'd get out of there."

"So…" Regina leaned forward a little, frowning, "you've never been comfortable in any foster home?"

For a while the younger woman didn't respond. How could she answer that? Comfortable…That meant something different to everyone. For her, it had always been the need for her own space. To just have her own little corner instead of sharing a room. And she never experienced that until she was over eighteen and on her own.

"Never," Emma confessed, avoiding eye contact. She suddenly felt too vulnerable. "It was never enough."

"That bad, huh?" Regina sympathized, as usual. And when the blonde nodded, she sighed. "Every single day I regret casting that horrible curse. Now I just feel even worse before, knowing that I deprived an innocent child of her slice of happiness."

"No, don't regret it," the younger woman surprised the brunette by saying out loud. She sipped some whiskey and licked her lips. "All of those experiences strengthened me. I grew up to be tougher. I wouldn't even be equipped to be the saviour if it wasn't for my childhood."

"Yes," Regina nodded, "I understand that philosophical statement, but by all means, it isn't right for a child to pass through such harsh conditions. I usually boast about having no regrets, but with you Emma, I seem to have so much on my chest that I regret."

Their eyes met.

Emerald ones widened a little.

"Like?"

The brunette shrugged. She held her glass out, clipped between two fingers. "Like…that."

Emma wasn't satisfied. "And…"

"And…" Regina bent her head just an inch, considering the space between them. "Well, ha." She pondered on what to say, on how to form those thoughts into words. "Fighting with you over Henry, for instance. Lashing out at you. Trying to…kill you."

"She wanted to kill her so called soul mate," Emma lifted her face to the sky and smiled widely. "Hear that? Fate saved me though."

"It did!" the brunette agreed. "And let's toast to that, shall we?" She held out her glass.

The younger woman clinked them together with a smile.

Tossing her dark, choppy hair about, remarkably, her simple motion didn't go unchecked by the blonde. Staring should have come across as rude but in that instance, it couldn't be avoided. The way Regina's lips parted as she seemed to savour the sweep of wind. All around the building the wind howled.

"So this foster mother you were telling me about. The one with the flaming red hair. She chased you out?" Regina's brows arched. Her glass was held up, half full. "Just like that?"

Emma nodded. "Just like that. Sent me away because of a damn sandwich."

"Not cool," the brunette shook her head. "You were hungry. You had a right to eat. After all, she was assigned as your foster mother. It was her responsibility to feed you."

"She had five more mouths to feed," the blonde said softly.

"Doesn't give her the right to take a piece of the pie away from a mere child of six though. It's rather…evil for someone to rob a child of a meal. Never settles well with me," Regina shuddered. "Believe it or not, back in the days when I reigned as the Evil Queen, I used to encourage the cooks to hand over any scraps they could to the village children who couldn't get a decent meal every day."

Emma's heart softened. Her eyes glistened from tears. "And everyone claimed you didn't have a heart."

"I did have one," the brunette nodded. She slowly unscrewed the bottle and helped herself to another glass of whiskey. "Because I could never have a child of my own, I felt the pain of that."

"You…can't have a baby?" The blonde stared back, feeling her heart sting a little.

Regina swallowed hard and sighed. "No, I can't. Why do you think I adopted Henry?"

It was an injustice for some to be able to have kids and others to be deprived of that. Even when she had been the Evil Queen, Emma would never have wished something like that on someone. On a woman. Knowing that she had a heart, and she loved children. Knowing that deep down inside of her, there had been this void she needed to fill up and the first thing Regina had done to bury that hole was to adopt a child.

"I'm sorry," Emma said softly, "but I just thought that maybe you didn't have someone at the time to…do that with. Or maybe you didn't want to do it at all."

"Believe me, if I could have done it, I would have. I tried everything there is to bring back what was taken from me." Regina's brown eyes grew wet from tears. "But I failed over and over again."

"So someone used magic to take that away from you," the blonde fished, her heart aching so much more. "Or you made a bad deal and someone spited you?"

When the older woman nodded, her eyes lowered to meet the glass within her grasp, Emma stared back.

"Which one is it?"

Regina sniffed. She swallowed hard. "The first one."

"Who would do something like that? Please tell me that it wasn't my parents."

"No," Regina declined such a notion. "No, it wasn't them. It was far worst. You see, my mother couldn't stop when she murdered Daniel." By then, Emma's eyes had widened. "She just had to continue my suffering."

"What the hell!" Her honest display of absolute surprise seemed to soften the older woman's pain. "I'll always say this, Regina, as much as you two buried the hatchet in the end, I could never stand her."

"I know," the brunette said softly, reaching for her glass and lifting it to meet those red painted lips. "I understand your judgment. Believe me, it took so much from me to forgive her. All the things she did to me. I never could be enough. For years I struggled with my self-esteem because of her."

The younger woman suddenly remembered something that had been said by her mother. She frowned, debating on whether to bring those words to light. But then the connection between them was at its strongest. Both of them were bonding in a way that suggested more than a 'like, like' situation.

"Mom told me about how Cora forced Leopold on you because she thought that you weren't into guys," Emma said, studying her fingers in order to avoid eye contact.

"My mother forced a lot of things upon me," Regina said softly. "Even the image of who I should be. Was quite damaging on my self-esteem."

"I like who you are," Emma said without skipping a beat. "A lot."

The brunette actually smiled a little. "I can tell."

"See, I've never been like this with another woman. Ever." The blonde seemed focused on a pool of emotions that sparked up so much more inside of her.

"You've never been intimate with another woman?"

Their eyes met. Regina had no form of expression on her face. Pretty soon, Emma's smile faltered. She could feel the weight of those words

"No. Have you?" This was going to be interesting.

The brunette quickly smiled, and lowered her eyes. She played with her glass, tipping it sideways a bit. "No, Emma. I haven't. I just thought that you had…been."

"So we're both inexperienced in that department," the younger woman smiled in all good humour.

"Are we about to discuss sex and intimacy?" Regina's voice took on a huskier quality as she barely peered up at the blonde.

"Don't know," Emma shrugged. "Depends on if you're more of the talk type or the practical type."

"Oh I'm practical," the older woman said smirking.

"Are you really like a Christian Grey?" emerald eyes widened. "Because I've heard things…"

Regina frowned. "A…who?"

"The guy with the pleasure room," Emma explained, never ever given the opportunity to throw out a reference that the older woman caught on to.

"Oh," Regina smiled back, "is that the movie Henry was telling me about where the man is all suit and tie during the day but he goes home to a pleasure room filled with kittens?"

She almost choked, doubling over. But the feeling gradually passed and was replaced by a remarkably bright smile that turned into a bout of laughter.

"First of all," she held up a finger, trying to clear her throat as Regina looked confused. "I need to have a serious talk with Henry about that. And secondly, the pleasure room isn't filled with kittens."

The older woman pouted. "It isn't? She frowned deeper. "I've never been a dog type. Much more into horses. But cats are cute darlings. My father had a few of his own."

"Regina," Emma sighed. "The pleasure room isn't filled with dogs or horses or cats. The guy has like a chamber filled with BDSM stuff. He's into bondage and pain whilst foreplaying. And…afterwards."

Brown eyes widened.

She didn't say anything for quite a while. But chose to sit there staring, as if Emma had sprouted two more heads. In fact, the blonde believed that the older woman would have seemed contented in the description; in that topic. But she appeared to be…uncomfortable about it. Her cheeks coloured a bit and the glass of whiskey was reached for.

"Not my cup of tea," Regina said matter-of-factly.

Emma was impressed. "But I just thought that you'd like that kind of thing…"

Brown eyes met hers. "Well you're mistaken."

Something changed on the brunette's face. She seemed…bruised all of a sudden.

"I didn't mean it in any way," Emma confessed in a soft tone. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I can honestly tell you that after being in an abusive relationship when I was married to Leopold, that would never push me down such a path. Yes I did inflict pain by murdering masses of people…"

Emma cringed a bit from the brunette's brutal honesty.

"…but in the bedroom, I am quite the opposite. Which possibly would shock many people. When they expect the Evil Queen to come out to play behind closed doors, I am quite…a romantic. I prefer…"

"Lots of kisses during foreplay, and that kind of thing," Emma continued.

"Indeed," Regina nodded.

"Bet you don't like cuddling though, right?" She was fishing and going in hard.

For some odd reason, those brown eyes softened. "Yes. I'm mushy in bed."

"Aww," Emma smiled, scrunching up her face as she savoured those words. "I just can't believe that. All the time I had this…notion that you were kinky and dominating in bed."

"So you've been thinking about me dominating you in bed?" Regina rested her glass down and leaned forward a bit. She smirked. "Me tying you up and teasing you?"

Emma swallowed hard. "Maybe."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint," the brunette folded her arms.

"No, no, listen," the younger woman cleared her throat, "it's totally fine just the way you are. I was kind of scared of that. I still am. Not my kind of thing actually. You know, all those whips and stuff. But if you're a mush in bed then that's fine."

"And you fall into which category?" Regina was fishing now, with a straight face, no pun intended.

"I'm more like, well it depends…." She tried to explain.

"On what?" the brunette's expression was simply unreadable.

"See, when we're talking about being with a guy, I prefer to be cuddled…"

"But if it's a woman…"

Like you… Emma wanted to continue. She stared. But she didn't say those words. "I'd honestly find myself being the one who allows her to rest her head on my chest as she slowly falls asleep. With my arm around her…"

Regina's face immediately softened. Her cheeks coloured a little. But she didn't' avoid eye contact at all.

"And would you dominate as well?" the brunette's husky voice was even huskier.

The younger woman sipped her whiskey and nodded. "Depends on who it is and what they want, I guess. Would you dominate?"

"Is that an invitation for me to dominate you?" Regina never backed down, smirking after she said those words.

"I would…like to see…you try," the blonde slowly let out, staring.

Regina continued to stare at the other woman. Her stare turned into a gaze. "Do you have tattoos?"

The questions were becoming quite intimidating, and she was surprised that they were heading down that path.

Emma smiled. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Yes," Regina didn't allow a second to elapse. The expression on the younger woman's face was priceless. She stared back in awe.

"For real?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"Proof or your words have no truth in them," Emma couldn't believe it at all.

"Wouldn't you like to see them, you flirt," Regina smirked.

"I'll show you one of mine if you show me one of yours," the blonde suggested. She was already beginning to fold up the bottom of her top, but slowly. She was teasing.

"Fine," the older woman said, folding her arms. "Challenge accepted."

Slowly but surely, every once and a while she kept glancing at the brunette, Emma rolled up the bottom of her top just a little and then some more. Gradually, the words 'Be Brave' in black ink was displayed, one word on top of the other in a neat scrawl.

Brown eyes latched onto the show of flawless fair skin and she couldn't breathe. Swallowing hard, Regina continued to stare.

Emma noted the reaction she was receiving and she savoured it. Every bit of it. Realizing that not only was the older woman boldly staring, but she her chest was heaving enough to show an inner swirl of emotions. She allowed her top to fall back down and could literally feel her heart beating so hard, anticipating the return gesture by the brunette.

"Waiting," Emma said.

"Right," Regina croaked, and she sighed. "I promise you some day that I'll show you mine –"

"No!" the blonde pointed at the other woman. "You can't dare do that. Don't you even dare. You promised."

"Yes, well…"

"First date and you're going to break a promise you made," Emma frowned. "That's not promising. I feel…betrayed."

"Fine," Regina said, feeling the depth of her actions. "I'll give you a sneak peek. How's that?"

"By all means," the blonde gestured with a smile. "Show me as much as you want."

"You flirt," the older woman said, gently easing out of her blood red trench coat. A black long sleeved jersey she wore underneath, along with a pair of black jeans.

The curves of her body were enough to stimulate something within the blonde, something she couldn't conceal but thankfully Regina wasn't observing her. Instead, she was merely focused on what part of her to display.

Opting for the easiest path, the older woman turned just enough to place her back towards the blonde. And slowly, she peeled her jersey upwards with graceful fingers. Emerald eyes widened so much more when she captured the sight of black vines crawling upwards from way below the waist of Regina's jeans. The sprinkle of red butterflies, red intermingled with black lined wings. The way those vines led upwards and tempted her to reach out, just enough to see more.

"Shit, that's…sexy," Emma whispered, feeling herself quiver a little internally. "The intricate details…it's just…remarkable. Can I…" she made an attempt to reach out and just as her fingertips neared the other woman's small space of skin exposed, Regina quickly pulled down her jersey.

"No touching," she said hoarsely. And carefully, the brunette fixed her clothing back into place. She slipped into her trench coat once more, eyes lowered.

"Hey, it's all good." Emma could feel something changing between them. "I'm sorry, I was just joking."

"I never show anyone my tattoos," Regina confided in her. "Unless that person is intimate with me. We haven't been intimate but…I trust you enough."

"I get that," the blonde nodded. "Thanks for giving me the privilege to get a sneak peek. Means a lot to me. Most people get tattoos that mean something to them. Mine for example was a reminder when I was a teen. I figure that yours must have a meaning too."

"Yes," Regina suddenly sounded quite emotional, and she was refusing to make eye contact. "I fell very low many times when I was the Evil Queen. I'm not ashamed of where I was. How I wanted to end everything with whatever method available. But every single time, I never succeeded…"

Emma was staring, and she could feel herself becoming colder and colder. She was talking about…death. She had sank that low. When everyone honestly thought that the Queen was so confident and composed and strong, Regina had been down in the frigging pits. Just as she had been on more than one occasion.

"And when I didn't succeed, I hated myself more. But to ease the pain, that's when I allowed these…markings on my skin." The brunette's eyes fluttered close.

"I'm glad you weren't successful," the blonde said softly. "I was there a couple of times too. But hey, we pulled out of it."

A few seconds passed by without any kind of response from the brunette. The silence began to take away a little bit of her, as Emma finally decided to rest her gaze on the other woman. And when she noted how those brown eyes were focused on her and were leaking tears, by reflex, the blonde immediately rested her glass upon the space between them and rose up.

"Come on," she said gently, holding out an arm and reaching for splayed fingers just near the whiskey bottle.

At first, Regina seemed hesitant. She appeared confused after being swept into a tank of feelings, only to be asked to stand up. But nevertheless, based on her trust in the other woman, the brunette shakily rose up whilst reaching for Emma's hand.

When their fingers entwined, something passed between the two of them. Something like a low rumbling in the distance which could only be heard when entirely focused on. Something they both understood and needed to analyze. So that when the blonde pulled her closer, her lungs ceased to function as per normal.

It was evident how stiff she became at first, her body growing rigid from not only an inch of distance between them, but none when a hug was initiated. A soft hug. The younger woman wrapping her arms around the brunette and drawing her in nearer.

"I'm so sorry. I don't want you to think about anything bad right now," Emma said. "Let go of all the bad things. All the bad memories. And let's just focus on now."

Regina rested her head on blonde hair gathered on slumped shoulders. She smelled vanilla. "Okay." Her voice was so hoarse.

"Just imagine that the entire world doesn't exist right now," the blonde invited the thought, "but just the two of us. Can you do that?"

Regina nodded once. "Yes."

"And…" Emma pulled her as close as she could, "tell me what you feel. Be honest."

For a little while, nothing was said. Just the wind howling around them and the rustle of leaves from trees below along with the crash of the waves on the shore.

"I feel…you," Regina's voice was barely a whisper. "I feel all of you. Something I've possibly dreamt of more than once. You're…not just a dream. But you're real."

She just couldn't hold herself together. Emma crumbled bit by bit. "And?" she fished, her voice cracking.

The wind swept their hair apart then together again. Somewhere in the distance a boat horn sounded like a mournful cry, loud and long.

"I've never felt this way before," the brunette confessed. She held on tighter "With anyone else. A hug is a hug. But with you…it feels like I'm safe and I'm…at peace."

The blonde said nothing.

She awaited anything else to be said.

Regina sighed. Curling into Emma's embrace. "This has been the best night of my life so far. In all honesty, I couldn't ask for anything better. You…me," she allowed the tears to slip out, dampening blonde hair. "Am I really loved?"

"Yeah," Emma croaked. She sniffed, trying to draw back her tears. "More than I even realized."

"I never wanted to accept it either. How I feel."

"Same."

Regina's chest heaved. "About you. I feel so mushy right now. Is this normal? Or am I overdoing it?"

"No, it's perfect," Emma pointed out. "I feel mushy too."

"But you're not…saying a lot," Regina croaked. She held on tighter, never wanting to let go. "Am I scaring you?"

"Of course not."

"I'm a mess," the brunette sunk her face into blonde hair again and she choked on a sob.

"I kind of like how you're shorter than me by just a few inches," the younger woman mentioned with a small smile playing on her lips. "It makes me feel like the guy for some odd reason."

She only wanted to change the brunette's demeanor. And it worked.

Regina smiled a little. "But I don't want you to be a man." She buried her face deeper into the tangle of blonde hair and inhaled deeply, feeling how their hearts beat together. "Right now I really want to be with a woman."

It was Emma's turn to stop breathing. "And that woman is me, huh?"

The older woman's frame shook as she laughed. "Maybe."

"I mean, who else could it be?" Emma wondered out loud as those emerald eyes rested on the full moon above them. The wind lifted her hair. A few strands tickled her face. "Can't be anyone else because no one else is as awesome as me, isn't that true?"

Regina smiled. "Stop babbling."

But she still continued anyway. "I own a car you grew to love. We both share a son. That counts as something, right? Plus you're my soul mate, remember?"

"Shut up," the older woman drew her head away from blonde hair and brought her face just in front of Emma's eyes.

Emerald orbs widened, her mind suddenly spinning because of how close they were. Of now feeling that proximity and the effect of it all. Their lips were just a full inch apart. And whilst Regina smiled, she playfully rubbed their noses together.

It was like an intimate move to signal what her heart wanted. What she desired. Above anything else, they were spending one special night together under the stars. And she couldn't ask for anything else better.

Emma began to sink lower into that catching pit of feels when the brunette lightly brushed their lips together. Gently. It seemed like an invitation to her, for them to initiate something more.

Her knees were so weak, her mind whirling. She felt tingly inside, even the thumping of her heart like a ritual drum seemed to be racing against time. And of course, her only decision by reflex was to move in for so much more.

But Regina teased her. Those red painted lips parted and pulling back every time the blonde advanced. Every time she tried to move in and capture that kiss. To take what was hers. To claim something. The older woman allowed her warm breath to caress fair skin. And over and over again she played a game that became so tormenting, Emma's grip on her shoulders tightened.

Then just like that, Regina once again wrapped her arms around the other woman and pulled her into a hug. Their cheeks were pressed together. Her lips rested just near the blonde's earlobe.

"I have to go," she whispered.

Emma's heart weighed down. She pulled them apart and frowned, still maintaining a grip on the brunette's shoulders. "What? No. Not now."

Regina lowered her gaze. Her cheeks were pinched with colour. "Yes."

"Don't go," Emma pleaded, her voice being strained from emotion. "Please don't go."

But nothing could stop her.

The brunette leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss onto a fair cheek. "I have to," she said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Please don't –" Emma began, but just like that, that same purple haze she arrived in, began to whirl up again.

And Regina disappeared, leaving a tearful blonde in her wake.


	4. Running Away

It was all so sudden for her.

One moment she was there and the next, she was just…she had disappeared.

For a long time, Emma stood there by herself and felt the blunt force of the other woman departing so suddenly. Knowing that what had started between them wasn't completed and for some odd reason, her night felt a little disappointing.

She remained where she was, hugging herself and staring at those two glasses still on the concrete ledge. The bottle of unfinished whiskey. The deep sinking feeling inside of her because she was alone. Because she was lonely again. And the one person she honestly had grown to love had decided that the night had come to an end and there was nothing else they could do.

But they had so much more to talk about. So much more. She debated all the topics in her mind and came to a conclusion that maybe she was at fault. Maybe she should have said a little more instead of what seemed like a little less than expected. Maybe she should have pulled her back. Maybe she should have said something different.

Did she say something wrong?

The blonde tried to replay what had been said. She tried to rethink her actions. She paced the terrace and felt her words weigh down hard. Because it had to be something she had said. Something out of context. Was it about the tattoos? Was it about her getting in too deep? Was it about her not being able to have a kid? What was it?

Think, Emma, think!

She pressed a cold palm to her forehead and paced the open terrace.

The next day when she woke up, her brain ached from a lack of sleep after overthinking every single moment they had shared together. Her joints ached. Her fingers trembled as she held them up and splayed them out, blocking out the sunlight. Even a long, hot shower didn't seem to erase the dreadful feeling that she could have done more.

When half a day of work at the Sheriff's station seemed like hammering at an iron wall with no progress and no kind of satisfaction, she turned to her phone. Although they had never texted each other much, Emma decided to take the risk.

Head lowered, and blonde hair falling forward, she ended up typing and erasing word after word. Until…

**Hey. Good morning, gorgeous. I can't stop thinking about last night. Did you sleep well?**

When ten minutes slipped by and then half an hour without a response, she honestly felt like stealing away into the washroom and crying her eyes out.

Lock the screen.

Unlock the screen.

Stare at the display until the backlight timed out.

She gradually began to slip into her little bubble where paranoia dwelled.

Then the phone vibrated.

**NO.**

That's it. Nothing more. Not another text. Nothing. Just one word.

Emma found herself staring at her phone for what felt like ages until David came in and noticed how far away she was. He lightly tapped on the edge of her desk and offered a smile.

"I think it's high time you went out for a walk and you grabbed something to eat," he suggested. "I'll man the fort until you get back."

She shouldn't have used the word 'gorgeous'. She shouldn't have said so much. Of course she couldn't stop thinking about her. But why did she make it so obvious?

Mentally calling herself stupid, Emma rose up weakly from her chair and decided that her father was right. She needed something to snack on at least before facing the rest of the day. And a good lunch from granny would be just the thing.

Something to keep her mind off of all of this.

She finally found herself sitting at a table, alone and like always, left to those deep thoughts that dug a deeper hole.

Emma chewed slowly on that tasty chicken sandwich with extra cheese and she wasn't even aware of her surroundings. Of Henry coming in and sliding into the booth opposite her. Of him asking if she was alright, because she seemed spaced out. Nothing.

Instead, all she could think about was that wish and those noodles and the way brown eyes never left her face. And the way they confided in each other, the way their fingers brushed. The way Regina cried a little, allowing her tears to spill onto blonde tendrils. And even when she had been in bed that night, Emma could still smell the older woman on her body.

On her fingers, she smelled a flowery scent. That distinct flower, fruity scent that had hints of jasmine and lilac. Even when her hair was sniffed, Emma almost drowned in the scent of whiskey and everything else that reminded her of Regina. She was falling in love with her. She was actually falling hard and the span of time was so short and she couldn't understand how in the world her heart hadn't even picked it up before.

Henry came and went.

Her chicken sandwich was half eaten. Her soda was barely sipped on. So that when an hour had passed without checking, the blonde lost herself in a world where no one else existed but one other person.

Could it be fate that brought Regina into the diner that day? Maybe. Maybe Cupid was indeed having a laugh at the situation. Because emerald eyes rested on the graceful entrance of the older woman. The soft looking feel of red satin as she wore that long sleeved shirt like a model. The way her curves were hugged by that pair of black jeans.

Her heart seemed to stop just for a minute when Regina approached the counter to order. And even as the brunette remained where she was, Emma's chest heaved.

She grew nervous and fluttery.

She couldn't stop staring.

Then finally when their eyes met, and she smiled, totally expecting the same reaction in return, the older woman merely glanced around, and returned her attention to the newspapers on the counter.

It wasn't that she had been expecting so much more. But hadn't she been paranoid at work that morning and since last night? Believing that something had gone wrong between the two of them?

Emma froze in her seat, fingers becoming ice cold and she felt as invisible.

Just when Regina finally collected a small brown paper bag and those heels clicked upon the floor as she headed towards the exit, the blonde slid out from her place and she trailed behind.

One step, two then three. They were a few paces apart but just enough distance between them to accommodate a conversation. At least she was in earshot.

"Hey, Regina," she found that those words sounded breathless because she was. Her heart was beating wildly.

The older woman stopped abruptly. The long sleeved red shirt she had slipped into seemed to encase her in a powerful mood. Regina was actually playing up the formal role again, more like the Mayor she was expected to be.

Slowly but surely, she turned around. When their eyes met, emerald ones widened. Because brown ones were red and puffy. The brunette seemed to be troubled. Not a little, but a lot.

"I was in there," Emma smiled. She gestured behind her. "I don't think that you saw me –"

"I did," the older woman confirmed, her voice huskier than ever.

Silence elapsed between the two of them because Regina was wearing a stolid expression. Something that gradually began to rip the other woman to pieces.

"And you didn't come over to say hi?" she tried, feeling her throat tighten.

The brunette pursed her lips. Those brown eyes blinked several times. And it seemed as if she was having an internal struggle of some sorts, due to her fingers curling and uncurling.

"I have to go. I have a meeting at one." And just like that, the older woman spun around and began to walk away.

"No, wait," Emma raced after her, feeling something ice cold caress her insides. "Jesus." She caught up with the brunette and took a hold of her shoulder, feeling the same softness, the same warmth from last night. When they had been together. When they had embraced each other.

Immediately the other woman stopped.

"Wait, one goddamn minute," the blonde demanded, furrowing her brows. "Why do I get the feeling that you're avoiding me?"

"Let go of me," Regina didn't allow their eyes to meet at all. She instead decided to focus on her paper bag. But even when a stern voice was willed up to be used, the other woman could still hear the slight tremor.

Her words were like four sharp stabs into Emma's chest. Quick and painful.

Something was wrong.

Something began to eat away at her heart, digging and gnawing.

Slowly but surely she released her grip.

"Hey," Emma braved it all and quickly reached out, catching the older woman's chin within her grasp and lifting those brown eyes up a little. "Look at me. Come on."

Just barely. But it was done in just one second. Nothing more. It was almost as if she didn't matter all of a sudden, bringing back the bitter memories of when they used to hate each other. When they couldn't stop lashing out, and destroying their relationship.

"I need to be in this meeting," Regina reminded her. "You're holding me back."

"So I mean nothing to you all of a sudden," Emma croaked, tears welling up in those emerald eyes. "Just like that, you confirm my fears and you take what you want and then you want to walk the hell away."

Regina stared back. The muscles inside her jaw twitched. "I don't have time for this right now."

"What did I say?" the blonde pleaded. "Did I say something wrong? I said something wrong, didn't I? Was it me getting inside your head a little too much?" Her voice was strained. "Was it me trying to…touch your tattoo?"

"No," the older woman lowered her eyes instead.

"Then why are you treating me as if I'm a damn virus all of a sudden?" Emma wanted to know. Her heart was bleeding. "Why can't you even look at me for one full minute?"

Regina let out a long sigh. She seemed to be swimming in something thick. "Stop this."

"No! You stop it!" The blonde demanded as tears leaked down her cheeks. She was panicking. That was enough to bring their eyes to connect full on. "Stop whatever the hell you're doing and talk to me. Goddammit, Regina. You can't walk away now. Not like this."

"You can't tell me what to do," the older woman ordered. Her voice wasn't too harsh. "This is my life. I can live it the way that pleases me."

Regina appeared as if she was curling up into a shell, a hard one. That somehow shielded her from everything the blonde was trying to say. Everything she was trying to direct her way; words that didn't sink in. Words that meant nothing all of a sudden. And the more she tried to compose herself, the younger woman began to crack.

But she didn't favour the very sight of people walking away from her. Of people she cared about running away from her. That's why she would run away first, to prevent the heartbreak of having them give up first. Of watching them leave. She couldn't stand another separation between them like the one that had occurred the previous night. So sudden.

"Why are you behaving like this?" Emma's voice trembled. "Just be honest with me. Tell me what's wrong. Please."

It couldn't be that she had dreamed most of last night, could it?

"I…" the brunette began, gesturing at herself, "…cannot do this. Whatever is happening between us, okay? I can't." Tears clouded her eyes and she was trembling. Her hands began to tremble. "I'm not going to toss myself in your direction, only to come up back being more alone than I was before. And more disappointed in myself for even trying."

"So you're already calling bad karma on us even before there is even an _us_ ," Emma stared back.

"You don't understand –"

"I understand," the blonde cut in, "I get it that you're scared. But I've never known you to show any kind of hints in being a coward. Never. All the damn time when you want something, you go after it and you get it. You don't care about anything else. You just do it."

"And you expect me to abide by the soul mate thing? Just like that?"

"Well you did it for Robin," Emma pointed out bluntly. "Even after you knew him for what? A week? You've known me for goddamn ages, it seems like. So don't tell me that all of this is ridiculous because you're contradicting whatever you showed me last night."

"What I showed you," Regina paced her words, "last night, was nothing short of a display of what I truly feel. But it's not something that I can handle."

"Then get off that damn high horse you're on because it seems as if you can't even act like a Queen anymore," Emma was bitter, but she was clear. She took one step closer. "Take what your heart wants. Just as I want to take the risk with you, push aside everything else, even the fact that I'll have to tell my parents. And man up."

The brunette exhaled. Her chest heaved once then twice. She was trying to hold her pieces together, trying to at least appear composed. But it wasn't working. None of her efforts to shine with pride was working. Instead, as always, the blonde could see right through the other woman.

"You think that it's so easy to get what you want, don't you?" Regina's voice was low. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "In this bitter world where hope is just a damn dream."

"I don't know," Emma shrugged, "I learned from the best. Going after what the hell I want. And I learned that from you."

"You're too full of hope," the older woman reminded her. "Just like your mother and your father. And Henry. But I'm not."

"Why?" She had to ask the question. Had to.

You'd expect someone who was in love with you, someone who cared to at least have a little hope. Just a sliver of faith that things could get better.

"Because every time I get too close to someone, they're yanked away from me. Daniel, Robin. Look what happened to me so far. I'm bad for you. We can fit together in all the right places. But at the end of the day, I'm never going to get an ever after with anyone. Even you."

"And will it kill you to try?" Emma's voice softened.

Regina sighed. "I don't know. But I don't want to take that risk, Emma. Not with you. Above everyone else, not with you at all. Because I'd rather keep you in my life as a friend than lose you as something more."

"But what if I want you regardless of what happens?" the blonde said. "What if I want to give this a chance just to see where it goes because I've never felt this way about someone and I'd like to go anywhere with you?"

"What if you lose everything because of me?"

Emma blinked slowly. She really didn't care. Honestly. "I did lose everything once. Because of you. When I became the Dark One instead of you. Remember?"

Bowing her head, brown eyes leaked still. Drops fell onto the paper bag.

"And I didn't second think it. All I could think about was saving you. Because since then, I've always put you first, right there where Henry is in my heart. I've always believed in you. Why? Because maybe I've always wanted to take any kind of risk because of you."

Regina took one step back, the front of her brown boot toeing the concrete pavement. Their eyes were latched onto each other. Both pairs glistened from tears and their hands trembled. Knowing that if one walked away, the other would run right after her. She wouldn't give up. She would keep pushing and shoving her way in until there was no hope left. Until that sliver was completely snuffed out.

Emma couldn't stand this kind of denial. That look in the brunette's eyes. She seemed…distant. Almost as if something frightening was preventing her from coming in. From letting go. From giving in.

"Sometimes I just wish that we could be normal," Regina said softly, "you and I. But then…then I realize that this profound bond we have, it's far from normal. It's…becoming too obvious."

The blonde entertained the thought. "What's becoming too obvious?" She frowned.

"That what we feel for each other confuses us –"

"But now we know what it means," Emma pleaded, "last night we figured it out. It was so fast, yeah. But I finally realized this. And I can't go back."

"What we feel for each other is going to destroy us, Emma," Regina whispered, as if someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. "Can't you see that?"

The blonde was already shaking her head, refusing to believe in such a thing. "No."

"Yes."

"Stop making excuses."

Regina sighed. Her lips remained parted.

"Stop standing there and looking at me as if something's wrong with me for feeling this way. Because for crying out loud, nothing that feels this good and this right can ever be wrong. Not unless you keep pushing bad thoughts in the way. Not unless you refuse to try."

For a long time, the brunette remained silent. She didn't respond. She merely gazed back at the other woman with such intensity that the blonde's knees grew weak. Her head began to feel light. And she honestly believed that the world was placed on mute.

Regina was playing mind games with her. Had to be. Out of all the instances she had been tangled up in, this was by far the most intense. The one slide in her life where everything seemed colorful and bright, all because there was this toe curling feeling of falling in love with Regina. Knowing that she was worth it. Knowing that all the broken pieces that remained in her chest, the blonde was sure that she could at least soothe the pain somehow. Because she understood.

"Can you give me a few days to think about this?" the brunette asked, her shoulders slumped; something that was totally out of character.

Emma's heart couldn't entertain the idea. "No."

Brown eyes widened. "What?"

"If you're asking me to stay away from you for a few days, then I can't do that, Regina," Emma said in a hoarser tone.

"Why?" the brunette wanted to know, taking one step closer.

"Because in a few days, you could keep dwelling on the thought that this is all a mistake and you could really reach this point where you bury what you feel for me. Whilst I sit the hell at home or at work, and I keep thinking about you every second of every day. Because that's all I did last night," Emma's tears glistened a little more. "I couldn't sleep. They say when you want something, your mind doesn't fight it. And I didn't fight away my feelings or thoughts of you. I entertained them."

"Emma –"

"No, it's okay for you to say that you don't want to do this," the blonde croaked whilst the world carried on around them, "it's fine if you admit that your heart isn't into this as much as mine. But just tell me that you don't love me and you don't want to be with me instead of having me wait a few goddamn days to hear from you again. Because at least I can work with your denial. But I can't work on an empty promise."

Regina swallowed hard. Her face suddenly contorted from a very strong emotion that rippled through her mind and body and soul. She was crumbling. And lifting a fist, the brunette choked back a sob. It was so sudden that even the younger woman seemed to become awed in the response. After all, she was very well as deep as anyone could get in the pit of feels.

But to witness the older woman shake before her. To see her tremble, and to hear that painful sob that she tried to muffle. It was enough to get the tears flowing out of emerald eyes.

"Emma, I don't want to lose you," Regina's voice was so hoarse as she tried to hold back herself from crying. "I really…don't."

"Then keep me."

"I can't do this," the older woman choked out.

Emerald eyes widened. She could feel her heart breaking. "What?" Emma whispered.

Regina began to shake her head. "I can't be with you. I'm…so…sorry. But…that's all it was. A moment. I have to go."

"No," Emma felt the entire world tilt sideways as she watched the brunette turn on her heels.

She didn't follow her.

She watched her hurry down the walkway, still covering those quivering lips with a fist. And she turned a corner, and she disappeared.

Just like that.

From across the street, Snow was just coming out of the diner when she witnessed the brunette dashing away and then…then she felt her heart shattering as Emma weakly sank to the pavement, and onto her knees, arms falling down her sides. Blonde hair flapped in the wind. And just like that, Emma weakly ran her fingers through blonde tendrils, cheeks wet from crying.


	5. Playing The Game

For one week that felt like a year, no one could get through to her. No one. Not even Henry.

At first Emma tried to play it cool, going about her days with a straight face, and trying to force out a smile. But the pain inside was so much more painful than what she expected. Something was killing her. Something was destroying her heart and none of it had to do with Hook leaving.

All of her tears and lack of words had to do with Regina.

At first, Snow didn't know how to approach the situation, so she stayed at a distance and studied her daughter's distraught persona. She fought with herself to rush over and demand an explanation. But then, there's always a saying that a mother knows things without finding out directly from their child. A mother senses things. And for a very long time, even before their escapade to Neverland, Snow had begun to notice that Emma was pining over Regina.

She wasn't just admiring, she was staring. Then she was following. Snow watched her follow Regina in Neverland around every corner, even when the older woman would sneak off in the night to cherish some time alone. The blonde always stole away after her. And then everything started to become even more evident that something was happening between the two of them, at least on Emma's side.

She realized that her daughter couldn't stand the thought of not including Regina in anything they did. She couldn't entertain the thought of going somewhere without consulting the older woman. There were things they usually did that Regina wanted to opt out of. But Emma dragged her into those activities or at least she tried. Even when the older woman was dating Robin, her daughter never really befriended the outlaw.

And she used to wonder why.

She even discussed it with David, over and over again. To a point where he seemed more convinced that Emma wasn't seeking just friendship, but she was feeling something more. A lot more. And the most painful part for them was realizing that Emma didn't know as yet what her feelings meant. She couldn't figure it out whilst everyone else saw clearly what was happening. Even Henry.

"I think that she's finally told her," Snow told David that night when she had witnessed Emma fall to her knees, "that she loves her."

He was reading the newspapers. David frowned. "About damn time, if you ask me."

"But I think that Regina rejected her," Snow said with a pained heart.

Immediately, her husband folded his newspapers and took off his reading glasses. He frowned deeper. "Why on earth would she do that? If you ask me, she's been pining after Emma as much."

"Just the other day," Snow nodded, "Ruby was telling me the very same thing. She's seen it too. She's seen how ever since Regina lost Robin, she's been getting softer and closer to Emma."

"Too close," David remembered the car rides, the desperate look in the older woman's eyes to always save Emma. "Why can't the two of them just admit that they're in love and make things easy for everyone?" David wondered out loud. He seemed as flustered about the topic as Snow as. "We'd accept it. God knows we'd be happy. I hope Emma doesn't think that we would object."

"But why would she reject her?" his wife pressed a finger to her chin and stared up at the ceiling. "There must be a reason."

"Beats me," David shrugged. He reached for the remote and tried to power on the television. The darn thing wouldn't come on. So lazily dragging himself out the bed, Charming went to the box.

Snow watched him fumble with the buttons. She frowned still. "You should have seen her, David," she said softly. "You should have seen how she just looked so broken. She's been trying to show a good face, but I can tell that whatever happened really destroyed her."

David finally found a decent channel and he returned to the bed. He suddenly remembered something. "Hey, no wonder she's been assigning all the paperwork to Will. Seems like she prefers to patrol instead of sitting in the office all day."

"Is she eating?"

He couldn't forget that. "Yeah, but barely."

"I just wish that there could be some kind of equilibrium," Snow scrunched up her round face. "I hate things when they're not balancing. They came so, so far. They were actually really getting used to being close to each other and now this happens. Whatever it is."

"Maybe it's best we stay out," David suggested. "Let them work things out for themselves. Emma's an adult after all. We don't want to intervene and then she gets angry with us."

There was silence from Snow.

Something David did not appreciate.

Finally, he turned to face her, intensely scrutinizing her face.

She seemed to be working out a way to make things balanced again. As always, Snow wanted to delve in and get things right.

"Snow," he pleaded with her. "Please stay out of whatever is going on."

She refused to reply, merely folding her arms.

"Snow," he said again.

"Okay, okay!" she held her palms up. "I'll stay out. I promise."

Then the obvious truth was revealed one night when the family was supposed to get together. Apparently when Snow had set an extra bowl out for Regina, the older woman did not appear. Even though she had been invited, it seemed as if nothing as important as family time would tear her away from whatever she was caught up in.

"Wonder what's taking her so long," Snow eyed her daughter sulking over the game of cards. "She's never late. And it's been almost an hour overdue."

"Don't count on it," Emma muttered. She carefully selected a card and continued playing with Henry.

Snow didn't want to entertain the idea at all. "But she knows that we usually get together. I don't see what would make her stay away."

"Mom's not feeling well," Henry joined in, still focused on his hand though. He picked a card and played that one.

Emma blinked a few times before realizing that it was her turn. Not feeling well? So she was still suffering as much as the blonde.

"She's not?" Snow frowned. "Is she down with the flu?"

"Nah," Henry said softly, aiming to beat his mother for the third time. "She said it's that time of the month. And trust me, I usually stay away."

"No wonder," Emma muttered.

Snow observed her daughter closely. The way she sat, slumped forward upon the carpet. "Emma, why don't you give her a call and find out why she's not coming?"

David caught on. "I thought you would have been the first to do that without anyone asking. Knowing how you two are so much closer these days and all."

"Look," Emma's eyes fluttered close, "if she wanted to be here, she would be here. I'm not going to call anyone to ask anything. Your turn." She waited on Henry to play.

Of course he was surprised at her response. Snow and David stared back.

"So it's true then." Henry didn't put down a card. Emerald eyes focused on him. "You two aren't talking to each other."

"It's nothing," Emma said warily. Feet crossed, her right knee began to bob up and down.

Snow understood that to be a sign of nervousness. "It is something." She directed her eyes on David. "What happened between you two?"

"Nothing," the blonde lied.

"So why has she been crying all week?" Henry still didn't play his card. This time, his eyes met with emerald ones.

Snow gasped. There it was. They were getting somewhere.

"Regina, crying?" David frowned. "Can't be about Robin. She seemed to have moved on. Did she give out any clues, Henry?" He was trying as much as possible to appear completely unaware of the situation.

He shrugged. "Nope."

Snow stared back. "And you didn't even ask further? You didn't pull her aside to ask what was bothering her?"

"I talked to her," Henry admitted without making eye contact with any of them. "But she confided in me and she made me promise that I wouldn't tell another soul. So don't expect me to say a word."

He finally played his card.

Emma was staring at him. Her knee had stopped bobbing.

"What. I don't understand." Snow got up, and began to fuss. "I mean, is she eating? Is she sleeping? What on earth is going on?"

"It's between her and Emma, grandma," Henry said softly. "Don't get involved."

"I can't not do anything," Snow fussed about, wringing her hands. "Emma isn't eating well enough. She seems on edge. Something's happening. And I would like to fix it."

"Well you can't fix it," the blonde said stiffly, without having their eyes meet. "Okay? Just leave it alone. There's nothing to fix. Your turn." She awaited Henry to play.

The room grew silent for a few minutes. Within that time, David was silently conversing with his wife from across the room without using words. He seemed to understand, if correctly, that she was very persistent on making ends meet somehow. Regardless of the approach taken, their top priority was to bring the family together again.

Snow always preferred a certain level of harmony around everyone.

"Perhaps," he finally said, "I had best say this and hopefully, my words may have some meaning." Resting the remote upon his right thigh, he found that his eyes connected with Emma's. "Ask yourself one question. Would you rather fight, or walk away?"

For a few minutes, no one said a word. Of course the blonde was seated there with no intention to speak. She tried to display the kind of expression that would give nothing away. A bland expression, as one might refer to it as. But in this case, Emma's face was simply unreadable to a point where she seemed arrogant on the entire issue.

Not only was she staring at David, but she was also completely ignoring Henry's show of concern for both his parents.

Snow took the floor. "Funny, but I remember once when we had to ask ourselves that question," her eyes met with David's. "When we were in the Enchanted Forest and we reached a point where I walked away and you begged me to stay."

Emma felt her throat knot into two. Eyes focused on the floor, she listened.

"I remember that you were so set on your feelings for me, you would do anything to keep me around," Snow said softly. "But I was too afraid to take that risk with you."

"Then I met her one day on the road out of luck," David said as his eyes met emerald ones. Emma blinked slowly. He was smiling. "And I reached into my pocket and I got out this note I had written about her after the very first time we had met. It was supposed to be a poem but I screwed the words up anyway and it became like a little short paragraph."

"He gave it to me," Snow said smiling, "I was buying flowers and he just walked up and he gave this piece of paper to me and he asked me to read it. It was possibly the most beautiful string of words I had ever read in my life."

"She's lying, but…" David winked at his daughter.

"Just the fact that he had saved those memories on a piece of paper," Snow said softly. "And he had kept it with him. I realized how wrong I was about us being separated even before that day. But those words just leapt out at me."

The room remained silent for a long time.

Emma sat there thinking, swimming in her own thoughts. She forgot the game. Of course Henry allowed it.

And for one last time that night, Snow's eyes met David's. And she smiled. Hopefully their experience would give Emma a push.

The very next day, after grabbing a cup of coffee in the Diner, that mischievous mind of hers began to concoct ways to fix whatever was broken. As she sat there behind a small table, Snow pondered and pondered. She thought and then thought some more. Until Ruby came over to enquire after such an intense look by slipping behind the table and settling down for an obviously juicy story about to unfold.

"Man, you can't do anything to fix that shit," the tall brunette whistled after learning about what had transpired outside the Diner with Regina running away. "Best thing to do is to stay away."

"But I can't," Snow whined, "I'm her mother. I'm Regina's best friend. And I care about them both. I really do."

"Listen to me," Ruby leaned over the table and lowered her voice, "and listen carefully. The second you believe that you're going to actually get in between these two, that's when you'll get blown away. And I mean big time."

Snow huffed out a sigh. She folded her arms upon the table. "I will not sit down and watch the two of them pull apart like this. I will not. And you know what? I'm going to find some way to fix things without them knowing that it's me."

"Well good luck," Ruby slammed a fist upon the table. She sat back, obviously furious. "If you ask me, Regina's probably dying for a roll between the sheets. But she's too scared to commit. I've seen the way she undresses Emma with her eyes. I've seen how she literally eye fucks her."

"Can we just…" Snow inhaled deeply, trying to create a peace of mind, "…keep the conversation clean?"

"If you want to help, then you've got to know how the hell it works. One woman loving the other," Lucas said boldly.

"And how does it work?" Snow braced herself.

"It's all about the fingers," Ruby held up two digits and wiggled them. "Does the job better and –"

"My God," Snow whispered, suddenly finding that a light bulb went off in her head after those words had been uttered. "So that's how it works."

They remained silent for a while, one of them smirking whilst the other sat in deep thought.

Suddenly, in walked Regina stiffly, clutching her blood red purse between graceful fingers. Her heart gave a little leap because this was it. Their eyes met and Snow smiled. The other brunette smiled back stiffly but she somehow refused to remove her pair of expensive shades whilst moving to the counter.

Time for some action.

"Talk about the devil," Ruby sighed. "I'll tell you this, I used to want a piece of that, saying that I'd die a happy death."

"Control your hormones," Snow whispered.

"Man, her thighs are just…like so soft, you know. She's perfect in every way. I'm not saying Dorothy isn't perfect. But back in the days, I had a serious crush on that."

"Dorothy," Snow began, with a smug look on her face, "is younger and much more your type, if you ask me."

"Yeah, plus she has the boobs to go with it," Ruby sighed.

"She has that.

They both watched as the older brunette paid in cash and she lightly drummed those well-manicured fingers impatiently upon the counter. Her hair was disheveled. The black dress she had on wasn't creased but the black soft jacket was just totally out of character. It made her appear, formal but somewhat unprepared for a day at the office.

The pair of black shades was just an add-on that appeared so ridiculous indoors.

Then just as they were about to continue their discussion, Regina approached a table and appeared as if she was having an internal debate. Something was definitely bothering her. Something quite intense. Almost as if she couldn't stay still. She was unsettled. Then just like that, she took a place by the window, shades still on.

"I might actually believe that Emma could be the only one to tame her," Ruby observed with a smile. "If you think about it, Swan knows when to take the reins and guide Regina back into the right lane."

"And that's why…" Snow smiled, "…they're perfect for each other."

"Come on," Lucas pointed out, "I called it first. Remember back when they used to growl and hiss at each other? I was the one who said that it wouldn't be long before they both had a good roll around under the sheet. And what did you tell me back then?"

Snow sighed. She reached for a paper napkin and began to fold it neatly. "I said that I simply rebuke it."

"Because why?" Ruby's head danced a little, "you were homophobic."

"I was never!" Snow defended herself in a high pitched voice.

"You were. You were so against those stuff. Until you remembered your past when you basically flirted with all the other princesses around the damn Enchanted Forest and elsewhere."

"I did not!" the short hair brunette rested her fists upon the table. "I mean, yes I did befriend them. But that was just me being friendly. I didn't want to sleep with them."

"Ariel…" Ruby said, settling back and folding her arms. "Deny it."

"I wouldn't dare entertain you," Snow seemed surprised. But her cheeks coloured.

"Her," Lucas said, jerking her chin, "by the door. You loved those boobs, didn't you?"

"She was my step mother!" Snow's eyes widened. She quickly ducked her head lower as Regina's eyes swept over towards their direction. "I mean she's got a great ass, and we're not blood related so I can say this. But she's all Emma's now, and I'm thankful."

Ruby smirked. "You little minx. You wanted to tap it. Didn't you?"

"I did not!"

"You so did. Look, every single woman wanted to. She's got sex appeal, you know?"

Just as they were about to marvel over the older woman a little more, the doorbell tinkled to signal someone arriving and lo and behold, in walked Emma.

"Look! Look!" Snow frantically whispered over to Ruby. The taller brunette's head snapped around. "We're about to witness a collision."

Lucas' eyes widened. "Get ready. Oh this is going to be like watching Young and the Restless as a reality show."


	6. Turning Tables

In Emma walked, of course not even noticing the older woman seated by the door behind a table. She headed to the counter in long, lazy strides, obviously living in her own mind. Dwelling on something or somewhere that was far off. Where thoughts had consumed her.

All in all, granny lifted those wary eyes behind her glasses and she considered the younger woman. Swan smiled weakly at her and leaned a hip onto a stool.

"You know, I can tell when someone wants a good cup of cocoa with a hot plate of food," the older woman said, positioning herself by the register. "You look like crap, if you don't mind me saying so."

Emma sighed. "Yeah, I know."

After placing an order for two tuna sandwiches and a Coke, those emerald eyes swept the Diner momentarily before feeling her phone vibrate. After unlocking it, the blonde rolled her eyes. The text was all too much.

**Come sit with me. Did you take a shower? You didn't take a shower, did you? If you didn't, then don't bother. If you did, then let's have a roll with words – Snow.**

It was a crime how deliciously tight Emma's blue jeans were. A pair of admiring eyes were glued onto those curves, noting how evident it was that perhaps the most sinful expectation was to not check out the display. She had to look.

All the while, Regina couldn't stop staring at her. From the way blonde hair was captured up into a messy ponytail, to the creased red and black, long sleeved plaid shirt, the younger woman was wearing. Even her sneakers seemed wild. All in all, she had the look of a college student who didn't give a damn about grades anymore and was somehow rebelling in her own way.

"Yoohoo," Snow called out, waving a hand in the air.

Emma's eyes swung towards the beckoning call of her mother and she smiled. Not going to happen. Of course her instinct was to avoid any kind of confrontation with Snow because strings would be pulled. Things would be said and for some odd reason, Snow would find out the truth.

That she was evidently buried deep in a swamp of feels, all swelling up because one woman couldn't really accept her feelings. After all this time, she just couldn't take the damn risk and jump. She couldn't sit down and have that conversation with Snow. Not now.

So waving it off, the blonde gestured to the exit and was about to make her way towards it when she suddenly stopped.

Those emerald orbs widened when brown ones latched onto her. Her feet felt rooted to the spot. Her hands suddenly grew colder. Clammy. She couldn't breathe. And that heart of hers began to thump wildly.

Regina.

She was there. Sitting there. And after almost a week, the blonde hadn't been able to erase her feelings for the brunette. Because as had been expected, her love for the older woman had deepened tremendously. In fact, she lacked sleep because of that particular face swimming around in her blasted mind. And things got so out of control that Emma couldn't even eat a full meal anymore.

Knowing the blonde all too well, Ruby sat back with a smug expression on her face, arms folded. And she awaited the confrontation. Because if it was one thing that always flustered up those two, it was the need on both of their ends to get into each other's faces and get things right off their chest.

Emma approached the table where Regina was sitting with purpose in her steps. She somehow began to fumble in her jeans pocket for something and eventually fished out what it was.

Hastily, the blonde pressed the folded paper onto the table and pushed it nearer to the older woman.

Lucas and Snow automatically leaned forward as if just closing the distance by only so much would enable them to tap into what the other two women were thinking.

"I know that you've been rejecting my calls," Emma began, her voice so hoarse, it was evident that she had done enough crying. Her eyes were shifty. "I know that you've blocked me on WhatsApp. But I'm here to tell you that I still feel the same way about you. And because you don't want me in your life apparently, I'm just going to…" the blonde reached up a hand and batted away tears, "…I'm going to try to be your friend. As we were before."

Regina's eyes glistened. The grip she had upon the napkin trembled a bit and her lips quivered. It seemed as if that wasn't the response she had hoped for. Because the internal collapse was quite evident, weighing down on her efforts to compose those walls.

Could she say it?

Could she form words to reveal what had transpired over the past few days when all that seclusion and darkness provided her with was terrible headaches, a ravishing heartache and more pain?

"Do you still want to be friends?" Emma's hoarse voice threatened to grow into a whisper that would become inaudible.

Her fingers lightly brushed the table's edge, obviously afraid that she might sink onto the ground from mental and physical strain.

Why was she even here?

After all this time, a week, could it be possible that the biggest fuck up was making this approach?

Regina's chest heaved. "Would you please…sit with me?" It was always in her nature to gesture at the other seat. But not that time. For what little energy she had remaining, all must be exerted on the other woman.

Emerald eyes widened a bit. "Are you going to tell me that you can't be friends with me?"

"No," the brunette's eyelashes fluttered as she paused on a moment to catch her breath. "I merely wish for us…for me…" she inclined her head to the right, "…to say a few things to you."

By then, Snow and Ruby's necks would have possibly grown several inches longer had that been possible. They were trying to listen in whilst conducting a full on scrutiny.

"What's this?" Regina's fingers danced slowly near the folded paper, the markings from blue ink quite evident from the other side. She remarkably held her rush of tears at bay.

Emma waved a hand in front of her. "Read it," she said softly.

Their eyes met, and a gaze was held. Something fluttered around inside the blonde's chest when she noted the dark shadows under the older woman's eyes. And the way she seemed to shake a little from being terribly unnerved by their meeting.

Slowly but surely, Regina gathered the piece of paper between her fingers and she unfolded it. Not gracefully, but clumsily. Until the page was directly in front of her for scrutiny and she began the short journey of gradually descending into a pit of swelling feelings so intense, her mind gave a long whirl.

**Date: June 4** **th** **, 2012**

The letter, evidently from a journal was dated close to five years ago.

**Dear Diary,**

**I'm writing about her again. You're probably so fed up of me now. Knowing that all the time I come here to vent. If it's not about her rude remarks, it's about her lack of feelings. Or her stupid accusations. Or her bitchy ways.**

**But today something happened to me. I don't know how exactly this feeling began. But I was having lunch with Henry and she just came in. We were talking about fishes for some odd reason, and why their babies are called fries (since he was eating potato fries). And Regina just came to our table and she slid into the seat opposite me and next to Henry.**

**At first I was stunned because for one, we had fallen out again over her leaving the Diner too soon after the Welcome Back party. And secondly, because she just couldn't believe that Archie told me about her wanting to do the right thing instead of believing that I forced it out of him.**

**Look, I really care about her, okay? That's why I invited her. Because some small part of me hates her but this huge part kind of missed her when I was back in the Enchanted Forest. You know how people say that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well being away from this obvious frenemy of mine, I kind of began to see her differently. Like she was not really a frenemy but maybe she was closer than anyone else to me because I always was thinking about her. Always.**

**I love Mary Margaret. Bless her soul. But with Regina it's different. She gets into me. And she just came to our table and she sat there.**

**The first thing she said to me was 'hey, Emma'.**

**Man, idk, but it was completely not prepared for. Since when does she come up to me and start a conversation without an insult? Plus, there was this look on her face that gave me the impression that she was what…really caught up in feeling something?**

**Feeling what, I don't know. But the goddamn staring.**

**Anyway, whilst she and Henry talked for a while, I just sat there. I sat there playing with my plate of potato wedges and I found myself studying her face. The way her eyes were so intense no matter what emotion she was riding through. Like the exact colour of brown wasn't just brown. It was something so much more. I can't really describe it other than me seeing some kind of fire behind her eyes.**

**She had her hair down. And a few strands strayed away in front of her forehead and I suddenly thought to myself, fuck she's gorgeous.**

**She asked me if I was okay. And she wanted me to know that she was really sorry about the way she behaved the night before. When I brushed it off and told her not to worry about it, she told me that we had come so far together already and she didn't want to make things worst between us. And when she said she wanted to see Henry more, she also meant that she wanted to see ME more.**

**What was wrong with her?**

**Then just when I thought that she was completely over being mushy with me, Regina reached across the table and took my hand. MY FUCKING GOSH. HELL. Soft, warm hands that tingled me to the core. JFC. Probably looked like a fucking deer in the headlights when she did that. But there was this smile on her face and she was like 'let's try to be the family we are'.**

**I said 'but I thought you hate me'.**

**She said, 'I can't hate you. You're Henry's mother'.**

**What does that mean?**

**Even Henry was surprised.**

**I said, "so you want to play one happy family all of a sudden?"**

**She said, "calm your hormones down, Swan. We're not going to make babies together."**

**WOAH.**

" **Mom, behave," Henry said, eyeing Regina with a smile. Why was he smiling? "The two of you can't make babies."**

**What the hell was wrong with these people all of a sudden? Were we actually having this conversation?**

**I decided to say, "maybe we can. I mean, she (pointing at Regina) has the magic."**

" **Be careful what you tell her," Henry said to me. "Mom has a super crush on you since you came to Storybrooke."**

" **Henry", Regina scolded him, avoiding my eyes. Her cheeks coloured a little.**

**Probably wants to super crush me with a damn hammer.**

" **When you were gone, she missed you so much. She wouldn't admit it. But she was sad," he said to me.**

**Regina sighed. She didn't scold him. "Yes. I missed the scent of vanilla and my eyes catching blonde hair around every corner."**

**Then she winked at me and I thought for some odd reason that she was flirting.**

**I'm blushing now and really hating myself because I never thought of her this way! I never really did. All I used to think of her was how to smack the bitch out of there.**

**Now I'm wondering if I ever had to go there with a woman, it would probably be with someone like her. Because why? She's beyond beautiful. She's got a body any man would kill for. And her sass is just so flawless, after a while when you get used to it, she's kinda cute when she snaps at you.**

**I'm so embarrassed now that I've kind of admitted that I have a girl crush on no other than Regina Mills. But the weirdest things happen sometimes. Hope she never sees this.**

**P.S – Wonder if I'm her type?** **Meh. I don't think so. Ruby probably is.**

She read it and reread it.

Regina actually chuckled. Elbow on the table, her fingers curled in front of her red painted lips. And a tear gradually trailed a path down a flushed cheek.

The younger woman was studying her every expression. Every second that slid by, she was experiencing something magical in the way those brown eyes seemed to grow quite lost between the lines.

"What an entry," Regina said with a soft smile.

"Now I feel shitty," Emma smiled back, "but I just wanted to make you smile."

The tension between them was wearing off.

"Well…you did," the brunette's voice was entirely hoarse. "You really…did."

"I'm glad," the younger woman seemed happier all of a sudden. "Your thoughts?"

Regina inhaled deeply. She allowed a few seconds to elapse whilst forming a reply. "Yes."

Of course, that caused the blonde to frown. She waited a little. "Yes…what?"

Brown eyes fixated her way. Those fingers still lightly caressed her red lips. "If you're my type," Regina continued, her heart leaping frantically. "Yes, you are."

Emma was dumbfounded. She stopped breathing and stared back without being able to process those words fastidiously.

"What?" she whispered, her head growing lighter. She couldn't have heard correctly. Not when all of this had transpired between them. Not when that week had passed with so much pain.

"I can't believe you recorded this incident," the brunette completely changed the conversation. "I remember this very well. I ended up consuming what was left of your serving of potato wedges and you sat there gawking at me."

Emma still could not form a reply.

She sat there and felt herself grow warmer, so warm that her heart felt as if it might explode.

"I'll confess that after you had fallen through that portal, I spent so much time reflecting on the moments we shared with each other. And one still resonates with me," the corners of those brown eyes were pinched a little. "When you touched my arm and my magic skyrocketed and the hat started to twirl and twirl…"

Someone rested their cutlery upon a plate loudly and within that time, their eyes were glued together. Their gaze was intense.

"When you did return, I couldn't suppress how emotionally unstable I was after…seeing you again. You invited me to the party. You accommodated my painful presence. You even made great strides to accept me even when I could not put my past behind. All of these things…I've been reflecting on since the 14th," Regina said with tears forming in her eyes although she smiled a little. "And it isn't nice to be reminded of the substance behind something when I ended up fooling myself into believing that…" her voice trailed off a bit. "When I thought I could actually live the rest of my life without at least…"

Emma swallowed hard.

She waited.

The brunette swallowed hard. "Without any of it."

"What are you trying to…say to me?" the younger woman practically whispered.

Regina bit her lips. Tears swelled up in those brown eyes. She lowered them. "I was foolish," she began, her voice trembling.

Whale slowly drifted to the counter but neither of them took note of him. On the other hand, he seemed to cast his eyes their way, longingly admiring the brunette.

Swan decidedly continued her gaze, never backing down.

The older woman didn't either. "I can't conceal it no longer. Emma, I've been…in love with you for such a long time, I think my heart was trying to tell me for so long. Like when I saw you kiss Hook through the trees," she said through tears, "I was so…torn. I knew then. I just…knew that I didn't see you as a friend anymore. I couldn't see you as a friend."

"So you just kept on treating me as if I was a disease," Emma didn't mean to sound bitter.

"It was my defense mechanism," Regina confessed.

"To push me away?" the blonde's voice broke. "To pretend as if you wanted to be my friend when you couldn't even be honest with me?"

"How could I be honest with you about something like that?" the older woman's voice was strained. "How could I even approach you about something like that, Emma? Where could I begin?"

"I don't know!" the blonde didn't exclaim out loudly but loud enough to show her distress. "How about not waiting so damn long to come to me about this? When you've basically put me through hell and back. You made me suffer through the deepest fucked up shit I've ever been through in my goddamn life, Regina. And now you're going to tell me this."

"I'm sorry," the brunette remained calm, never showing any kind of anger towards the other woman's outburst. "Believe me, I am."

Emma noisily grated back her chair, legs sprung apart. And she reached up hastily, running fingers through blonde hair. She was frustrated. Obviously.

"Hate me as much as you want," Regina croaked. "I deserve it. But I can't feel the same. I cannot despise you. And you cannot blame me. This was your wish. For your soul mate. And you got what you wanted. Now whether you like it or not, whether you like what I have to say or not, you have no choice but to tolerate me. Because out of the entire world, you've managed to narrow our worlds down to just the two of us."

Both of them stared at each other, tears streaming down their faces.

When the sounds around them resumed after the world had been on mute, Emma directed her eyes outside the glass.

"I'm sorry that I paraded around with him. I know that's what you want to hear," Regina said, the pain reflected in her tone.

"Not your fault he was your soul mate and I never can be," Emma stated, then her lips quivered. Those emerald eyes filled with tears.

"Stop it," the older woman whispered. Her voice sounded unlike any ever used, as reflected on by the blonde. "You and I both know that everything happens for a reason. He's gone. Sadly, he's gone. I'm not going to pretend that I don't miss him. But this is where we are now. I'm here with you and that's all that matters."

"Does it?" Emma turned her stare onto the other woman. "Or will you just build me up, and shatter me because –"

"Stop being such a petulant child, Emma," Regina croaked. "Just stop it, okay? I am sorry. For saying those harsh things that I said last week. For rejecting you. For making you cry. For the past few days, all I've done is hate myself for what happened that day and I will not hurt you again."

"But you don't get it, do you?" the blonde whispered, her voice weaker than ever. "Just sitting here, listening to you say these things, you're hurting me."

"Then what do you want me to do?" the older woman curled forward, hands folded upon the table. Those eyes of hers leaked even more. "Do you want me to leave?"

Emma's lips quivered.

"Do you want me to whip up two measures of potions that will help us to forget this? To forget what happened?" Regina's tears leaked onto the table. "Because I can do that. I can erase the pain but it will leave a hole in both our hearts. Forever." The last word was spoken in a trembling tone.

Someone moved past behind the blonde and she lowered her head, tendrils falling forward. Regina did not conceal her face though. She sat right where she was, facing whoever it was but her gaze was all on Emma. Her full attention was nowhere else.

"I love you, Emma," Regina whispered suddenly.

All the air from within her was sucked out. She felt like she was dying. Just to hear those words, it was almost as if she had relied on hearing something completely different, that the actuality of anything else occurring was brutal.

"I want you," Regina said. "I want to hold you and to touch you. And I want to…kiss you. So badly."

Emma rose up immediately. She wasn't going to allow this. She shook her head. "You know what, I don't have time for this right now. All I hear is words and words –"

"I'm telling you the truth," Regina sprang up. "Listen to me."

"See that's your problem," Emma pointed out, whilst stepping away from behind the table. "You have this way of getting under my damn skin all the time. And then just when I want to believe you, you turn the tables around and you do something shitty. I'm done."

"No, we aren't done!" the brunette demanded, and reaching out, she snatched the other woman's arm and twisted her around. "Not this time."

And just like that, she pulled the blonde into her.


	7. A Touch of Snow

Their breathless reaction was priceless, even for the entire sea of eyes focused that way. Just barely remaining inches apart, their mouths danced nearer. Their lips quivered.

"Go ahead and kiss me…" Emma dared, "if you mean it. In front of all these people."

"I…" the brunette swallowed hard, feeling warm breath caress her face. "…want to."

"Then do it." The younger woman drew their faces closer.

Brown eyes fluttered close. "To prove what?" the brunette croaked.

"That your promise isn't just empty words to me –"

And Regina initiated a kiss so deep and forceful that the younger woman mewled, her arm flailing for something to hold onto. To steady herself.

There were gasps, of course, from all around. Even from Snow who hadn't predicted this kind of progress in things.

Regina's grip remained on Emma's shoulders. Although she was trying her best to remain on her feet, it wasn't quite panning out that way.

The blonde was still a bit unsteady from the moment of bliss, so much that when the older woman pulled away slowly, she found herself leaning in for another go at it. The feeling was so intense. So…surreal. Her only reaction was to stare and to savour the feel of her heart hammering away.

They kissed again, but this time, it was deeper than the first time. If that was even possible. Moving in and capturing that feeling in its entirety. Both of them swum deeper until the clatter of cutlery upon something jolted them both into the room again.

Emma gazed at the other woman. Seconds ticked by, as their fingers entwined and the eyes around them were glued in that direction.

Then, for some odd reason, a bout of applause was initiated. Had they turned around, they would have seen Snow leading the sound of celebration from all around although Whale wasn't participating. He merely studied his food and scowled, obviously jealous that Regina hadn't turned out to be his after all.

"And that's…" Snow piped up, smiling and showing teeth, "what you call a modern day fairytale! My heart is contented." She made a dramatic attempt to appear breathless by resting a palm upon her chest. "Oh, my goodness."

"Finally, for fuck's sake," Ruby applauded.

"Well I for one am severely pissed," Whale suddenly spoke up from his little corner in the back of the room. He rested his spoon down gracefully. And he seemed upset. Deeply upset.

"Oh go bury your face in a pie," Ruby retorted. Something passed between them and perhaps it seemed as if he didn't entirely have something against Regina and Emma but with Lucas.

The blonde was still deeply focused on the older woman's blushing face whilst all of that was unfolding. In fact, she seemed to be savouring not just the moment, but everything about Regina's countenance.

"I have to go," the brunette finally said hoarsely, offering a small smile, her chest heaving and fingers till lightly caressing Emma's shoulders.

She stuttered at first. "N-no." The younger woman was slowly awakening from the daydream feeling. "Where are you –"

"Don't be upset," Regina said. "But I really need to leave this now. It's not…" Those brown eyes were lowered momentarily. "It's too much."

What was she doing?

Why did she have to leave like this?

The blonde felt warmth being replaced by an icy feeling.

"Regina," Emma couldn't care less, for she reached up with shaky hands and ran those fair fingers through dark tendrils. The brunette's eyes fluttered close instantaneously. She swayed on the spot. "Stay with me."

It was so overbearing.

Regina entwined their fingers, and slowly withdrew Emma's hands from her blushing face. "Don't worry. I'll call you when I'm ready –"

"But –"

"I'll come back to you," Regina said.

It took every ounce of her sanity. Emma let go. She inhaled deeply. "Okay. Promise?"

The brunette nodded, her lips parted. She was breathless. "I promise I'll come to you when I'm ready."

Then just like that, after trailing a fingertip across the younger woman's cheek, Regina approached the door. The bell tinkled when she left. All eyes were on the blonde who slowly slid into the vacant seat.

Emerald eyes could not drift away from the place where Regina had occupied. She couldn't understand why time suddenly meant so much more than just a few minutes and seconds. Time felt like life or death. Like bracing yourself for a heartbreak or a climax.

Her hands rose then fell back onto the table. She folded them. She wound her arms up then stared at those paler splayed fingers. It wasn't about being idle. It was about trying to fight the feeling of being suffocated whilst absolutely drowning in the best kind of happiness she could have ever felt.

Focus.

Emma inhaled deeply.

Focus on how she pulled you nearer. Further, remember what she said to you. All the things she confessed. That she had always loved you. That she had been actually jealous of when you kissed Killian.

Emma's heart fluttered.

When I was away from this town, she missed me. She actually…wanted me back here. And all the time, I thought that she never even cared. I thought that she saw me as just a piece on the board to jump over and eat. To claim a life that didn't include me.

The blonde actually felt herself loosening up. She smiled a little, head tilting sideways, pulling at her fingers.

Regina loves me.

She wanted to say it over and over again, to think about it all the time.

"Pssst!"

She wanted to lie down and curl up and replay that kiss over and over again.

"Yoo hooooo!"

Snow's catcall immediately caught her attention and she reared her head to consider the short hair brunette sitting in the corner of the room.

"Bring your lucky self over here, then!" Snow beckoned wildly for the blonde to join her.

At first, she didn't feel like talking about it with no one else than her mother. But then when Emma realized how Snow's reaction was free from prejudice or any ill feeling about the recent activity, she felt somewhat…relieved.

Rising up, the blonde wasn't prepared for how weak her knees had become. But gathering enough composure, she dragged her feet over there whilst everyone glanced occasionally at her with a small smile or a nod.

Whale was smirking from a corner table, twirling a toothpick between his fingers.

Nevertheless, she slid into the seat opposite from Snow and shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"So my best friend, Ruby," she gestured at the tall brunette wiping the counter with her checkered cloth, "she winds up with a woman. And now my daughter ends up kissing no other than Regina. I feel…" Snow inhaled deeply, face propped up on the edge of both palms. "I feel somewhat too conscious of being straight."

Emma had to laugh at that one. Her laughter was shaky. But she enjoyed a full bout of it. Both of them ended up falling into a fit of giggles for a while until the blonde dabbed at her eyes and Snow reached across the table to take a hold of both her daughter's hands.

The laughter died down, and Snow enveloped herself in their own bubble, savoring the look of absolute happiness on the blonde's face. Not only that, but emerald eyes weren't dull looking anymore. In fact, she appeared so free of a burden that had rested behind those orbs. A heavy burden.

"Mom," Emma whispered, shaking her head. She was so caught up in swelling emotions. Her smile was warm. "I never expected something like this to happen to me. Not ever."

"I know," Snow nodded. She squeezed the blonde's hands. "Believe me, I know. How does it feel?"

The younger woman inhaled deeply. "Honestly?" Her eyes shone. "I've never felt this way. Like ever. About anyone. Especially so fast."

She began to explain what had transpired, beginning from their trip into New York and how they shared those moments together. Moments that she thought must have been the kind that really great friends felt. But something had been different. There had been this fluttering inside her chest. Even when she came back and Killian embraced her. The fluttering persisted.

Snow fell into the pit of feels, especially when her daughter explained had occurred over the past week. How she couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't breathe. Until today.

"Wait," she finally remembered something and glanced back at the table by the door. "She…took…it."

Snow frowned. "Took what?"

Emma explained the diary entry and smiled to herself.

"All this time?" Her mother wanted to know, a small amount of awe displayed on her face. "It's been there? This…crush?"

"I suppose," the blonde noted with a blush on her cheeks.

"So Killian was never…"

"He was. For a while. But then when I keep thinking about it, I feel as if I was just using him because I was in love with the feeling of someone wanting me. But I wasn't in love." Her downcast eyes merely suggested that she felt somewhat guilty for whatever had transpired between herself and the pirate.

Snow understood. She never judged. "It happens to the best of us. We would like someone to want us so that's why most people end up in loveless relationships. When all they want is for someone to love them as much as they cannot love themselves. That's when the real problem comes in."

She loved herself somewhat. Emma realized that there had been a time when she had detested everything about herself, so that coming here into Storybrooke and being called the Saviour wasn't something she exactly favoured. But it felt more like an undeserved label. Like pinning the wrong price tag on an item.

But then they always comes a time when someone makes you realize your self-worth. That person forces you to look into the mirror and reassess yourself. And that person had been Mary Margaret. Back then when they shared an apartment, she was the only friend that ever believed in Emma. The only one that was blunt and she spoke the truth about her character.

So now that they were in this position, it wasn't surprising that Snow didn't judge her.

"Thank you," she said to her mother, whilst holding her hand.

Snow frowned. "For what?"

Emma smiled. "For not judging me. I know that this must be totally shocking but…"

"I'll tell you something a Queen once told me when she was younger," Snow's eyes twinkled and the blonde immediately realized who she was referring to. "She told me when I was a child that I must never judge someone based on the choices they make. Everyone's life is different and everyone makes their choices based on the best chance they have at that moment. Therefore, she said to me, instead of judging, get to know why someone did what they did. At the time all of this referred to her when she married my father and felt completely out of place. I began to judge her because she couldn't like him no matter what he did. But then…"

Snow squeezed Emma's hands.

"Some time after she told me that, I sat down one day in my room after my father would make her cry over and over again. And I began to see exactly why she was sad. It was that he loved me more than her. And she didn't deserve that. She also was being terribly mistreated by him and me as a child, I couldn't understand that at the time. He called her a Stable Girl and would tell her that her place was with the horses and not in his kingdom and I would not even run after her to comfort her."

There were tears in Emma's eyes and Snow's as well.

"But all of this shows you why I can never judge anyone, especially you and Regina. I can't do that to her. Ask your father. No matter how cruel she was to me, no one witnessed the kind of treatment she experienced many years ago. I did. No one but me sat outside her door whilst she cried inside and wished that she would just die. I did. And when you experience that with someone, even as a small child, it sticks with you. So I could have never killed her. Nor hurt her. I did things to restrict her from harming us. But I couldn't murder the one woman who took my mother's place and taught me so much more than I bargained for."

"She's lucky she has someone like you," Emma said softly.

"And I'm lucky that my daughter has chosen her," Snow grinned. "Best choice ever, if you ask me. A very strong woman who will never disappoint you."

"I guess," the blonde said, still feeling those words from earlier and how they had cut so deep.

"So she's the one, huh?" Snow leaned in a little, smiling as well. "Regina Mills is going to be my daughter in law. Where on earth is our family tree moving to? Step mother, Henry's adopted mother. Your…girlfriend. Your wife. My…daughter in law."

"We're not there yet," Emma blushed and lowered her eyes. "Take it easy, mom."

"She sure knows how to move through our family tree though!" Snow stared.

The blonde laughed. "Let's just…don't jump to conclusions, okay? I'm not even sure if she'll come back to me. And I guess I'm not trying to think about it like that. But I can't help it."

"You need to become as you are meant to be," Snow reminded her.

Emma frowned. "What does that mean now?"

The short hair brunette beamed at her daughter. "Be optimistic like your dad and I." She winked. "Especially in bed. Since you'll have to use your fingers and your hands and all."

Emma stopped breathing, eyes widening.

Snow was smiling from ear to ear. "Ruby told me all about it. How you…lesbian. It's not so bad when you think about it. It's good to know that men can't gain one over us just because they have a…thing. You know?" she lifted a hand and wiggled her pointer finger.

"Mom…" The blonde tried.

"Knowing her, she's going to dominate you. Absolutely sure of it. Allow yourself to be taken control of. You'll learn things. From her. She's good in the bedroom. Well as much as I've heard." Snow shrugged.

"Gee, thanks mom," Emma said warily. The thought of Regina being with multiple persons suddenly made her feel somewhat…less important enough to have a grand effect on the older woman.

The blonde sat back, prepared herself for where the conversation would take her. And she almost jumped up from being joyful when Henry came in and sat down with them. Immediately the conversation turned into another path. And contented, she pulled out her cellphone and texted:

**Counting the hours until you come back to me.**

**Reminds me of that song,**

' **every time you go away, you take a piece of me with you…'**

She wasn't expecting a reply. Not just then. So Emma sat back and settled into the discussion about Henry's art exhibition at school. He was participating.

"Mom wants me to do a piece with an apple," he told them. "Regina. She's been begging me for ages to do one. I have no idea why she wants me to but I'll try to set aside some time to work on it." He sighed. "An apple. She could have asked me for a horse or something."

"Just…do as she says," Emma said, patting his shoulder a little. "Believe me, that painting of your apple will be hung somewhere in her office where she'll look at it and be so proud of you."

He was gazing at her with this little smile on his face.

"What?" Emma frowned.

Henry laughed. "Since you two have become besties, you're always finishing each other's sentences and telling me that I should do as my other mother tells me to do."

It had begun to happen automatically, she noted to herself. Just that. Not occasionally, but often. Plus when she called Regina to meet her somewhere, the brunette showed up in a couple of seconds in a whirl of purple smoke. She didn't walk. She didn't take her car. She poofed her way to Emma because she had become that important.

Whether it had been just a light conversation or maybe for the younger woman to show the brunette something. Regina always showed up. But now, her constant need to just leave at the most inappropriate and painful times was really something Emma couldn't get used to. Not when she was in so deep.

"Yeah, well she's your mother," she said softly to Henry.

Snow snatched his hand, her eyes wide. "You missed the kiss. Happened earlier in here. It. Was. Epic. The two of them just couldn't pull apart."

At first, he seemed confused and Emma had no choice but to glare at her mother. Because that was a touchy subject, having to put her son through something so new. Knowing that perhaps he wouldn't be comfortable with the idea of having his two mothers in a relationship.

But then, that confused look was slowly replaced by a smile that grew wider.

"You mean…"

"Yes!" Snow exclaimed, clapping her hands together in glee. "Both your moms…right there by the door." She pointed.

"Mom," he turned to Emma, "that's great! When were you going to tell me?"

"I was…" she considered his face and frowned, still not convinced that Henry was okay with the idea. "I was going to tell you. I didn't think you'd be this overjoyed about it."

"Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "Why would I not be overjoyed when both my moms are finally getting together? I've always told you two how I hate to see you fighting. Now, I have the best of both worlds. Two moms. In love with each other. And peace at last!"

"I know you hated the constant bickering, poor darling," Snow patted his hand. "Always caught in the middle. We just have to marry them off quickly before they have another fight and they change their minds. God knows how I'd hate to see that happen."

"Me too," Henry frowned. "Mom, you've got to put a ring on it, like Beyonce says. Regina is the best choice for you. She's got a rein around your neck and you've got one around hers."

"Can we just…" Emma held her hands up, "…slow down?"

Then her phone vibrated. Frowning, she unlocked it and stared at the message for a long time.

"I'm not going to slow down," Snow said but her voice sounded distant to the blonde. "We need to bind you two together ASAP."

Emma felt tears welling up in her eyes as she read the message over and over again.

**I'll keep your pieces safe with me, inside my heart.**

**We'll fix each other. You'll see.**

**Be as it may, that's what happens when you find true love again. – xo**

Emma smiled.

She trembled a little.

Her heart quaked.

And sinking deeper into the seat, she let out a long sigh.


	8. She Came Back For Me

Emma stood all by herself, a little way off but with good measure.

She quietly observed the scene playing out before her, with the meticulous details that seemed threatening enough to destroy her.

A wedding. But not hers. Just the kind that always seemed to involve two people in love and she was never one of them.

The red balloons straining on their red ribbons seemed to mimic her feelings with such exactness. Wanting to get away from there. To escape and to find a safe haven, away from all this soppy romantic stuff.

It had been three weeks.

Twenty one days since that damning kiss in the Diner. That moment when she literally felt everything fit perfectly into place. And yet...

Regina hadn't come to her as yet.

Emerald eyes rested on Ruby as she read her vows from the paper, her hands trembling. She was wearing a red dress, gorgeous enough and her locks were twisted up into a messy heap. The blonde could see the sparkling stars all the way from the back of the setting. Even as the cool wind came in and caressed the guests seated there in the garden, Dorothy seemed to be totally not in control of the heat combustion going on around the two of them.

After they were wedded, naturally the party would move into the small establishment just near the waterfront, where the patio provided a clear view of the lapping waves. The buffet was already displayed. The seating arrangements made. And Snow was still fussing over the decorations, fastening them to the cream cushioned chairs.

"Don't want to sit down?" Henry came up behind her.

Emma trembled from the sudden approach. Resting a hand upon her chest, she considered her son with a scowl.

"The hell, I thought you weren't coming."

Henry smiled, looking quite dashing in his black suit and tie. His eyes swept the scene, resting on the couple now sealing the deal with the kiss.

"I had something to do first."

She briefly studied his face then they both joined in on applauding the newlywed couple. "Yeah? What's that?"

"You'll see. Let me go see what grandma's fussing about," he immediately seemed to desire a change of topic. And just like that, walked off, hands behind his back.

Emma watched him go and frowned. Then shaking her head, she joined the flow of guests who were now making their way towards the gazebo. Hopefully at this rate, she'd manage to slip away a little earlier than expected. Because it was Sunday. And she hadn't been able to sleep that early last evening due to keeping Lucas' company as the tall brunette suffered from a bout of nerves.

Rounding up the guests, huh?

Her father was a good chaperone, flitting about here and there as he seemed to know everyone present.

Sometimes she just wished that she wouldn't feel so out of place at these kind of events. Weddings. Parties. Anything to do with the residents of Storybrooke. Because they had been part of a magical place for years whilst she only came to know of it when her son showed up and dragged her all the way out there. Then she had come face to face with Regina, the oh so feared Queen.

Back then nothing about the brunette used to intimidate her. From those intense brown eyes all the way down to her dangerously high stilettos. The older woman never seemed damaging enough. Even when she tried to kill her with that poisoned apple tart. Well not…kill but…to put her under a sleeping curse.

The joke was on both of them now.

Because had she been under the sleeping curse, then if it wasn't Henry, who else could have kissed her awake?

Seemed like the answer was obvious now.

Henry came to sit next to her, and a can of Coke was offered as he kept one for himself. His smile was catchy enough to warrant his intake of soda. So she allowed it. Naturally.

Snow was still fussing. Hurriedly tying a red ribbon behind a chair, her rear parked obstructively in the way as more guests filtered in.

"She's never going to stop, mom," Henry seemed to read his mother's mind. A small smile played on his lips. He sipped his Coke. "So don't beat yourself up about it."

"She's done fixing it," Emma said through her teeth. "How many more times does she have to tie and untie the same damn bow?"

"Possibly several times more," he beamed at her when she scowled.

"I swear, if she doesn't stop fussing with it, I'll rip the damn thing off –"

"Hey", he took a hold of her arm and squeezed, his voice soothing. "Relax, mom. Calm the nerves. We don't want you shooting sparks from your fingertips, okay?"

Settling down a little, she tried to breathe, wondering where that outburst had come from. Knowing all too well deep down inside what was the cause of it.

"I know you're missing her," Henry suddenly said in the same soft tone. "Like…really missing her. And you feel as if she's not coming back to you. But you can't give up, mom. You've got me. And even if I find that things aren't working out between the two of you, I'll be there to remind you both of how much you mean to each other."

She smiled warmly at him. "Kid," Emma's voice cracked. "Thanks a bunch. You're a blessing to me."

"I'm always in the middle," he turned his eyes to the front of the room where the procession had gathered. Lucas was laughing. "I don't really like weddings. I can't wait for yours though. But this one is just so…I could be home watching another season of Grimm. But I don't care. I'm here for the food."

"Think we can attack the buffet now?" she reared her head and considered the lineup of platters with steam drifting off of them.

Henry copied her move.

Both of them noticed Charming lingering near the heap of porcelain plates. Their eyes widened a little when David picked up one and he casually moved to the first platter, coolly beginning to scoop up something obviously delicious.

"Know what?" Emma rose up and rested her Coke upon the table, "it's way past lunch and I'm hungry as hell."

"Me too," Henry mirrored his mother's approach to the situation. Fixing his tailored jacket snugly into place, he awaited her to proceed and then, naturally, he followed.

The food was delicious.

After the mountain on her plate was proudly carried to the table, both of them sat down and dug in bit by bit. Whilst everyone else followed in suit, the reception was stalled. Finally Snow had settled down, choosing to fixate her seat next to granny. But the most shocking match for the afternoon was probably Belle showing up with no other than Will, the latter appearing quite awkward wearing a tuxedo.

"I called it," Henry said, chewing slowly. "Rumple's a no go."

Emma nodded, savouring the taste of the creamed potatoes. "Yeah, like honestly, she wasn't going to take him back, no matter how hard he tried."

"And Will," Henry lifted his eyes and focused heavily on the entrance to the gazebo, "…he's more important."

"Mmmhmm," the blonde agreed. She reached for her Coke and sipped. Then resting the can back onto the table, the rice was attacked.

She didn't notice nor feel someone behind her. Busily swallowing her food, Emma sat there and was completely unaware of her personal space being invaded. Until she felt the table cloth move a little and then the chair next to her was pulled back a few inches.

"Is this seat taken?" came a distinctly memorable husky voice.

Emma almost choked on her mouthful of food. Her fork clattered onto the plate and eyes bulging, she lifted those emerald eyes to meet brown ones.

"Um," her brain had been slowed down. Think. She tried to focus, glancing at the chair. "No. It's not…taken."

The red satin dress the older woman had on made her seem even more appealing. The material hugging every curve, and reaching just mid-thigh to reveal those glorious legs so much more than she had imagined. Even the black high heeled stilettoes screamed so much sex appeal. And as she sat down slowly, the brunette made every possible effort to contain her nervousness.

"Mom, you better have a go at the food before the buffet runs dry," Henry leaned forward to notify Regina. In turn, she lifted a hand and waved the news off.

"I'm not hungry."

Emma didn't even realize that she was gazing too intently at the other woman until their eyes met. Then and only then did the connection threaten to pull them deeper into what had been felt before. And she couldn't help it. The kiss lingered in her mind, fresh and sweet.

Just then, someone used their cutlery to tap their glass. It was Snow. And therein began the flow of speeches that seem to resonate a little too much with Ruby who had to dab at her eyes often.

"Thought you'd never speak to me again," Emma whispered, leaning just a little towards the older woman. She barely glanced at her though, trying to settle the nerves that were trembling from within.

Regina sipped some of her champagne and remained silent. Her back was as stiff as a poker as usual. God the woman had such perfect posture, regal enough for a Queen. But somehow, every time she rested those well-manicured fingers upon the table, her unsteadiness showed clearly.

"I told you that I'd come to you," she said in turn, realizing that when willed, her voice gave every emotion away.

"Did you transport yourself to Australia and had to make your way back?" Emma tried for humour. "Jesus," she tried to keep their conversation private and away from Henry's ears. "Kind of made me feel as if you were giving me time to get over you."

"Did it work?"

Their eyes met. Emma stared back whilst the older woman pursed her red lips. The blonde didn't understand that question, and how boldly it was voiced. In fact, whilst trying to brush away the curtain from in front of the other woman's eyes, Swan noted how the veil couldn't be moved. Not that she felt it required any effort. After all, hadn't she been able to at least get inside Regina's soul before?

So what was happening?

"Hell no," she said, frowning. Then she had a fearful thought. "Why? Did you?"

Regina diverted her eyes and reached for the champagne glass. She took a small sip and swallowed. "Yes."

Immediately, Emma felt her heart ache terribly, almost as if someone had punched her. She stopped breathing.

"What?" her voice came out more like a croak.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Of course not, you idiot," Regina stated with a small smile. "Would I be here if that was the case?"

"I don't know," Emma felt slightly angered by the bitter joke. "You tell me."

"I needed space to…clear my mind," the older woman said softly, "if you must know, I also had to rid myself of a few things that served as memories, painful ones about someone else."

The blonde swallowed, feeling her chest tighten. Robin. Had to be him. So she was still swimming in his memories. Good to know. She felt her eyes sting and sat back, legs parted. This was really fantastic. Falling for someone who was still in love with their dead partner.

What did she expect really? To be given a free pass? After all Robin had shared with the brunette? The two of them disappearing into that damn vault for hours on end? What could she offer that would be so much more than what he had to give?

"Hello," Regina leaned forward as dark tendrils fell into her eyes and she considered the younger woman's face. "Are you listening to me?"

Emma nodded, avoiding eye contact. She felt so insecure all of a sudden. So damn unsure of herself. Weak. Vulnerable. What was happening to her? Why was she allowing herself to lose control like this?

"What did I say?" Regina tested her, seeming to be in a lighter mood than she ever could be. "Come on. Tell me."

The blonde sighed. She shrugged. "You had to clear out some of his stuff. I get it."

"And?" the older woman frowned, thankful that Henry had drifted off to sit with Violet. The two of them were in the corner, and alone. "What else did I tell you?"

"Didn't hear the rest," Emma confessed warily, "I kind of zoned out."

"I said…" Regina inched nearer whilst speaking, "that whilst I was packing and throwing away oddities, I found a shirt of yours in my wardrobe. That navy blue one you lent me so long ago. Can't remember what for. But it still smells just like you." Her voice cracked.

Their eyes met.

"I took it out, and I couldn't bring myself to toss it into the laundry. So do you know where it is right at this moment?" Those brown eyes glistened.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Where?"

Regina smiled. She blinked slowly. "On my bed. Just where the huge black stuffed cat is. Yes." The brunette nodded. "I still have that too. I've been sleeping with that cat next to me ever since you gave me it as a Valentine's gift a few months after you came into Storybrooke."

She couldn't help it. The blonde's heart softened a little.

"Your shirt," the older woman said softly, "has made me miss you so much since that day in the Diner. You asked me if I got over you. How could I when all I wanted was to remember you?"

"I just thought…" Emma rushed out, and then she stopped. Those emerald eyes were lowered. Her arms were folded.

Regina leaned a few inches closer to the younger woman. She could feel her warmth. "You just thought?"

The blonde let out a long sigh. She couldn't bring herself to confess it all. Not now. Not when the festivities served as a reminder of what she desired someday. Of what she dreamed of. And how in the world was she supposed to go in deep when the very person she dreamed about marrying was sitting right next to her?

Goddamn it.

Every single time Regina leaned in a little more, all she wanted was to turn her face and have their lips meet. It was so painful to sit there and feel the distance still. Her heart was beating but it wasn't as if she was even alive as yet. To come alive was to feel that kiss again and again and again. To feel her.

"Will you speak to me?" Regina croaked. "Will you let me in? Please."

"Not here," Emma whispered, head bowed. She shakily reached for her can of Coke. Sipping from it was a task by itself, as she tried not to appear weak.

"Then let's go somewhere else," the brunette suggested, "where you feel much more comfortable."

"Can't just leave," the younger woman said, resting the can onto the table once more. "Not now. It would look bad."

Regina pressed her lips together. Her chest heaved. What little energy was left inside of her, she tried as best as she could to gather up some more composure.

"Okay."

They sat there for what seemed like ages without saying another word. Speeches were given. Glasses were raised. Everyone laughed whilst she forced herself to. And yet, Emma could literally feel the air between them change. She couldn't understand why and what was happening. But something wasn't right.

It was all her fault.

Knowing that she was behaving so damn stupid. When she should just loosen up and have a normal conversation. But that couldn't be done. How could they be normal? How could she turn to Regina and continue a flow of words that would colour her as relaxed? She was shaking like a leaf internally. She was losing her shit.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Regina began, and her voice trembled. "I don't know what you want from me right now. I'm trying very hard to keep myself together. This is really difficult for me right now." Their eyes met and Emma's facial expression revealed how affected she was by those words. "I'm sitting next to the woman I am completely in love with and I feel as if she doesn't even want to talk to me."

The blonde began to shake her head. Those emerald eyes quickly filled up with tears. "No, that's not true."

"Then why are you behaving like this?" Regina hoarsely asked. "Why do you choose to look at anything else but me?"

"Because…" Emma clamped her mouth shut and glanced away. She inhaled deeply. "Because sitting next to you drives me insane. I've never felt this way about someone. So…on fire. And if I look at you for too long, I might end up…"

The brunette's eyes widened. Lips parted, she gazed without looking away. "You might end up…"

"Kissing you," the younger woman whispered.

Their gaze deepened. Seconds passed by. And in that moment, nothing else mattered. Everything was muted.

"Then kiss…me," Regina croaked. Lowering her eyes, she slowly allowed their fingers to meet. "Everyone knows already. They're quite aware of our feelings. So why are you holding back?"

Because it's not about them. It's about you. Emma wanted to say. Instead, she kept their eyes locked on each other and didn't inch nearer.

It's about him. She said she needed time. She found his things. She touched them again, obviously lingering on their memories, feeling those memories once more. She must have felt something. Must have caved in.

Whilst in truth, Emma realized that she didn't feel anything for Killian. Nothing at all. When he had left, he took his memories they shared in that damn ship. His wounds healed faster than she could have imagined.

But it was different with Robin.

Robin had gotten in so deep, his death had torn Regina apart inside, so much that she locked herself away for days. Then when she did resurface, her mood had been altered. No longer did she carry around the abundance of sass once delivered. But she had become more soft-spoken, more…settled.

"When you're ready to talk to me," Regina suddenly said, "then come to me." She let out a long sigh, eyes seeking out someone. "I'll be with your mother."

"I don't…" Emma began, but the older woman had already gotten up. She watched her slowly and gracefully make her way through the tables. With her departure, the blonde felt her heart quake.


	9. Sweet Kisses

She couldn't find her. Not amongst the other guests. Nor outside the gazebo.

Emma began to panic, feeling how sweaty her hands were becoming. She quickly wiped them upon her pants and proceeded hastily to seek out the older woman. Around the tent and back again. Then down by the lake where the water lapped lightly onto the sandy shore covered in twigs.

There she stood like a lonely soldier between the trees, her eyes cast forward and hands hanging limply down both sides. She was gazing out into the water, almost as if in a trance that seemed to lead her out there into oblivion. Somewhere she found solace in. Somewhere she was possibly remembering, and escaping to.

The blonde slowly and quietly made her way down the trodden path. Holding her breath. Careful not to step on any soft parts of the ground. Nor to stumble. She didn't want her grand entrance to be something so clumsy. Not now.

When the older woman heard her approaching, she hung her head, and dark tendrils fell forward. Those strands were so silky, even under the pale moonlight.

"Thought you ran away from me again," Emma's voice shook a little. She allowed no kind of large distance between them but barely an inch, decidedly leaning into the other woman's personal space because she wanted to. She wanted to let her know that they weren't strangers anymore. That they were so much more.

Regina considered her without a smile. She turned those brown eyes onto the water again. The sigh that escaped afterwards was long and sounded quite painful.

Immediately, the blonde felt the blow. "What's wrong?" she reached out and lightly caressed the older woman's left shoulder. Honey coloured skin felt warm under her fingertips. So inviting.

"Have you ever felt as if you could just walk into the water and disappear and no one would miss you?"

Emma swallowed hard. "Regina, don't…"

The brunette said nothing. But she merely stood there, as if the world was slowly becoming meaningless to her.

"I'm sorry about the way I behaved back there. I know that's not what you wanted."

"It's what I deserve," Regina said hoarsely. Her eyes fell to the ground beneath her black stilettoes. "Knowing how it pained you to listen to me lament about cleaning out Robin's things…"

It was incredible how she immediately figured that out without the blonde even highlighting the obvious. How she knew. How she could read her easily without even trying too hard. At times, the younger woman found it to be quite beneficial but then that kind of superpower was somewhat terrifying.

"It might have pained me a little," Emma confessed, knowing that she couldn't turn back and lie. "But I can handle that."

"I burned his things," Regina returned, tears filling her eyes as she turned so that their gaze could connect. "Even his books."

The blonde stared back, wide eyed. "What?" She couldn't believe it. "Why would you do that?"

In fact, she had held onto something from Killian. A simple watch his father had given him. Until now, she had it buried in her jewel box, not to cast her eyes upon it and choke on tears. But to remember him by. Even after all he had done, there was some time when she considered him as meaningful.

"I need to move on," Regina said softly. "And that's what I do."

"So you…haven't moved on…" Emma swallowed hard. She couldn't cry. Not now. Because this wasn't going to be a declination. The other woman wasn't going to tell her that she wasn't genuine in her feelings.

"I have now," the brunette said. "I've come to terms with how I feel about you. I've begun to breathe again. And I just wish that you would trust me more, enough to know that every word I say to you, all of it comes from my heart."

"I get that," the blonde moved in and they stood facing each other now. How she ached to reach out and take the other woman's hands. "Honestly I do. But when you gave me so many days away from this, I started to feel as if you didn't care that much. Like I was just a decision you had to make. I wasn't a priority. I was an option and you decided to come to me because…I don't know."

"Emma," suddenly, it was Regina who reached up and held the younger woman's face between her palms. Her gaze was intense. "Don't you ever say such things to me, ever again. You must know that you've never been an option. You were always a priority. Look how many times I went against every single thing in my life to save you. To keep you safe. It's not because I had a choice. It's because I wanted to."

The blonde lowered her eyes. She was crumbling.

"I know that right now you feel as if he was the first. That he got in before you. But truthfully," Regina offered a little smile, her eyes glistening with tears, "you were there before him. Fact?" She carefully caressed the other woman's cheek, "Half the time I found myself thinking about you when I was with him. And I was spaced out. And he noticed it."

"Same with Killian and I," Emma confessed.

"Is that so?" Regina's smirk was rather suitable. "What did you do?"

"I…kept talking about you all the time, until he told me that he was fed up of me and my girl crush on you," Emma said with a shrug.

"Must have pissed him off big time."

"More than you can imagine," the blonde said, "he would walk away and sulk."

For a long time they stood there in silence whilst the wind caressed their skin, casting a dancing spell upon blonde and dark strands. Occasionally water would lap onto the rocks just a few feet away from Regina's shoes. But nothing seemed to stir around them. Except the activity a couple yards away under the gazebo where the wedding was in full swing.

In fact, a few guests had wandered out from the shelter and were liming on the grassy area dedicated to Storybrooke's small botanical gardens. Some of them had drinks in their company, mingling and laughing. Whilst somewhere, Ruby was possibly downing bottle after bottle of liquor and about to put on a display for anyone who would watch.

Slowly but surely, Emma decidedly slipped her fingers through the older woman's warm ones. The very feel of that connection seemed to ease all the tension away, especially when Regina's chest heaved. As if a burden was lifted off.

"We've come a long way in a very short time," the brunette noted in her husky voice. Brown eyes were still directed forward and into the expanse of water.

Emma nodded. "Hell, yeah."

"I just wish that I hadn't been so stupid," Regina said, "that I hadn't been so ignorant in my approach to this."

"At times we kind of don't see the big picture," the blonde contributed. She noted how a boat was crawling across the water and tried to block any thought of Killian out of her mind. "Like me for instance. "When I first came here, I didn't want to believe Henry. And look what happened."

Bringing back those memories really made her mind sigh. The older woman smiled. "Yes."

"Like I couldn't believe you were the Evil Queen from a story book I read like a million times in school," the blonde confessed, squeezing Regina's fingers entwined with hers. "I didn't believe fairytales could even be real."

"But they originated from somewhere," the brunette enlightened the line of thought. "Everything comes from something."

"You sound so wise…" Emma tilted her head. She finally decided to snake an arm around the older woman's warm body, pulling her closer. The fitted so perfectly alongside each other, it was a remarkable feeling.

"It's the truth," Regina laughed hoarsely. She welcomed the feeling of a protective arm around her and drowned in the moment. It was nothing like she had ever experienced. Being so close to another woman and knowing that they were more than friends at that point.

Emma suddenly laughed, and her boot toed the sandy ground.

It was the brunette's turn to frown. "What's so funny?"

"No, I'm just remembering our conversation on Valentine's night. The stuff that came up. Like the pleasure room filled with kittens."

"Don't judge me for what our son put into my mind," Regina scowled. Her expression appeared so cute, that Emma couldn't help but lean her face in so much more. She brushed their noses together affectionately and the brunette's eyes fluttered close.

"Your tattoos," Emma said softly, resting their cheeks together and savoring in the warmth. Knowing that she was so close and her toes were curling. "When will I get to see them?"

Regina gasped when the blonde's lips grazed over her jawline slowly. Then soft kisses were trailed downwards. She lifted her face to invite more caresses of Emma's warm mouth across the hollow of her neck. And for dear life, she held onto the younger woman, curling into her embrace.

"When we're alone, and somewhere private," the brunette purred.

Emma felt how the older woman's pulse quickened under her lips. She kissed there softly and tasted nothing but the most wonderful moment of bliss ever so far. How they were entangled in each other's arms and the simple gesture of Regina choosing to hang onto her. To trust her. To stay with her.

"I want to take you somewhere private now," the blonde whispered, feeling how passion consumed her. She couldn't control her breathing.

Regina's breath hitched when she felt a hand roaming down the front of her body, slowly reaching somewhere quite sensitive.

"Wait," she whispered, quickly reaching down and taking a hold of the blonde's wandering hand. Their lips danced together, eyes hooded from passion. "Not now. Too soon."

Emma was somewhat baffled by the statement. Nevertheless, she withdrew her hand and gazed into brown eyes that were on fire.

"I want," Regina tried hard to compose herself, finding it difficult to breathe. "I want us to return things to steady rhythm before we go any further," she suggested, her voice trembling.

"What do you have in mind", the blonde held the other woman so close, their bodies fitted together perfectly.

She wanted so much more. So much. But certain things needed to settle first. "Another date," the older woman suggested. "I know it sounds rather…long winded. But I'd like for us to sit down and talk a little more. To come to terms on how we respond to each other and what we want. Not physically alone. But mentally too. I'd like to tell you a little more about me and I'd like you to tell me a lot more about yourself. About what you were like when you were younger. What did you want your life to be like? Your most memorable experiences. That sort of thing."

It was so much but she could handle whatever would come. She could do anything for her. Anything at that point. Whether it was a request to become the Dark One again, or even to battle some ungodly force just to save the older woman, she'd do it. So why would exposing herself be any different.

"Where do you have in mind?" Emma wanted to know, as the wind caressed dark hair.

"Somewhere quiet. Could be your place," Regina said softly, her eyes containing little gold specks. "Where we can have dinner and then we can spend the night. And I'll most definitely show you my tattoos." She smirked.

The blonde smiled widely. Her fair cheeks coloured. "Damn, it's a deal I can't deny that at all."

They moved in dangerously, warm breath taunting each other, with parted lips. Their heads tilted sideways, eyes fluttering close as hands snaked around waists and palms travelled upwards as Regina's back arched to accommodate the feel of that intimate caress. The feel of warm fingers through her dress, and upwards onto the feel of skin.

It was so new to her but so right, the way they fitted together and their bodies reacted. Longing. Wanting. Finally when their lips met, Emma felt herself drowning in the connection immediately, her world spinning away slowly. She felt light. Almost as if her feet were lifted off the ground when the brunette parted her lips with warm, soft ones that tasted like champagne.

Moaning, the blonde opened up to the kiss as the older woman leaned in. Emma didn't realize what was happening until her back met the trunk of the tree that was cold through her shirt. Therefore, being sandwiched between the older woman and the production of nature at its best, she gave in willingly to being controlled. With the use of roaming hands that ran upwards, tugging at her shirt and raking pathways across fair skin. Regina was losing control.

She was breathless, knowing that once they started this and a certain point was reached, then there was no turning back. Not even the distance from the wedding would matter.

The kiss was so deep, it was ravishing for both of them. Both of them unearthing throaty moans from each other. Going in over and over again. And tasting what was a moment of bliss like no other. Emma lifted her face when those warm lips roamed her neck. Upwards and then lower, kissing the base of her throat then the feel of teeth grazing on her skin so slowly. She trembled from the sensations travelling through her body.

Knowing that at some point, she was going wish that they were alone and somewhere away from there. And they were going to take that leap too fast. And for some odd reason, she was going to build a crescendo and she was going to feel the tip of it all. And they would both crash in each other's arms. And they would regret how fast things progressed.

It was Emma who pulled away from it all. But by a few inches that felt so painful. She considered the older woman's countenance that was deeply affected by passion. And emerald eyes blinked slowly.

"About that date," the blonde whispered, hands still presented upon the curve of evident hips as hers fitted perfectly against the older woman.

Regina moved in and rested their foreheads together. Her eyes were still close. "Saturday."

What. Emma frowned. She entwined their fingers. "Regina. It's Saturday."

The older woman's eyes fluttered open. She rubbed their noses together. "Let's go now."

It took every ounce of her energy to speak against that request. "But it's already late, we'll both fall asleep and what will happen to the dinner?"

Groaning, the brunette tilted her head sideways. She pressed their bodies together so that the blonde could feel everything, even the beating of her heart. "Take me now. And we'll sleep together. And we'll have the dinner tomorrow. And everything else afterwards."

"Regina…"

"Please," the older woman croaked. She slowly lifted her fingers, face turning downwards. And those same fingers curled into Emma's shirt, fingering the buttons suggestively. "I need you."

"Listen," the blonde sighed, for she couldn't even deny how deeply her feelings ran as well, "look, I need you too. You have no idea how much I need you. But you were right before when you said that we need to take things a little slow now. Because we jumped into this so suddenly."

Regina pouted. Her forehead creased. Those brown eyes met emerald ones but the former were on fire still.

Emma didn't back down. "What we feel for each other is so strong right now. Everything just happened just like that. I think that, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we should plan that date next week and during this week, we'll work something out."

The brunette nestled her face into blonde hair and let out a throaty croak. "If you feel the need to deny me so that I have to go home and curl up in a ball and let my hand wander…"

Her words hung in the air as the younger woman suddenly found her mind consumed with erotic visions of self-pleasuring.

She swallowed hard. "You're really turned on, aren't you?"

Regina groaned, burying her face deeper into Emma's neck. "Yes." Her voice was muffled by blonde hair. "By you." She parted blonde tendrils with her fingers. "You smell so…good." Her lips met fair skin just by the younger woman's right shoulder and she began to nibble her way along.

"Hey. Don't eat me," Emma tensed up, smiling nevertheless. "Geez, you're like a freaking kitten when they want someone to pet them."

"Take me home with you," Regina said in a small voice, pressing kisses onto fair skin. She trailed a dangerous path upwards and onto the other woman's neck. "I can't stand the agony of this anymore."

"That's it," the blonde literally peeled the other woman's body away from her own. She held her at arm's length and studied the changed look in brown eyes. The brunette was indeed consumed by desire, so much that she couldn't breathe, being little gasps escaping from between parted red lips. "Let me take you back inside and hand you over to my mother."

Without waiting a response, Emma took a hold of Regina's hand and tugged her along as she approached the gazebo.

"Noo," the brunette protested, her free hand flailing behind her. "Don't do that to me. She's going to babble about us for the rest of the night."

"It's not so bad," Emma grinned, trying as hard as she could to fight the urge to take the older woman home and rip off her clothes. "When you think about it, mom's a good distraction."

"Emma," Regina grounded her shoes on the spot and prevented them from proceeding, "if you take me in there and feed me to her, then I will make sure that you pay for this some way or the other."

Emerald eyes sparkled. The blonde smiled widely. "I like the sound of that very much."

And without sparing another second, she practically dragged the older woman into the wedding as the dancing was in full swing. Lo and behold, in the center of the dancing, there was Snow and David, both of them dancing wildly as if they had consumed large amounts of alcohol. Their hands were jerking around, hips swaying side to side whilst everyone else cheered them on.

Emma swallowed hard. "I think," she began, feeling embarrassed already, "that I'm going to leave you with Henry."

"Someone called my name?" he showed up right next to her with a wide grin.

"Look after your mom," the blonde said, staring at the dancing couple, "I have to get your grandparents home. They're obviously too drunk and they'll be doing handstands next."

"Emma," Regina said when the younger woman began to leave her standing there.

The blonde stopped. She glanced back. "Yeah."

Brown eyes blinked slowly. Even with Henry there, she simply didn't care. "At least sleep with me tonight," the older woman suggested with a pleading look. "I don't want to be away from you anymore. I want you next to me to chase the nightmares away."

She couldn't deny that offer. Could she? Not then, he thought. Henry considered one of his moms then the other. He didn't say anything but his heart felt heavy.

"Let me get them home first," Emma assured the brunette. Their eyes rested on each other briefly. Then she turned around and headed in the other direction.

Regina sighed.

Do people even realize how difficult the physical pain is to stand there and witness the one you love walk away from you? It's a simple action but yet so painful. Like beginning to pull a rubber band as distance is created and then when you can't stomach the stretch anymore, your world bursts apart.

Henry entwined their fingers. "She's going to be there for you," he said softly, studying her face. "Don't worry."

"Yes, but for how long?" the brunette croaked, avoiding eye contact. "Until she gets tired of me and she drifts away and into the arms of someone else. Or worst. I lose her like I've lost…"

Henry tugged at her arm. "Hey, stop thinking like that. Just because the others left, that doesn't mean that she will." He didn't want to use any word close to 'deceased'.

"Emma's different. And you know that. She's not a man. She's not going to be what you expect. She's going to prove to you that this is right. And that all the time whilst you were looking for your happy ending and she was helping, it wasn't with someone else. Your happy ending is with her."

She looked at her son for a long time after he said those words. A string of words that meant so much to her, she couldn't voice the impact.

"Mom, you've got to start having hope again."

"I started once before, Henry," her voice trembled. "And look what happened to me. I gave it my all. I let go of everything."

"No, you didn't," he said softly, their eyes connecting. The music was loud but in their own little corner, they could hear each other well enough.

"You didn't ever let go of what you always felt for her. And don't pretend as if you don't know what I'm talking about. I can still remember that day when you almost told me that she's more than a friend. At the town line. When you were going to cast the curse to erase our memories and I was with you and when I asked you why you weren't going to hug your best friend, you told me you couldn't. Because –"

"She's more than that," Regina continued, her brown eyes distant.

He waited a little then said, "exactly."

"But…Robin," she whispered. "And Daniel…"

"They're not Emma," he shut down her worries. "She's been through hell and back. She's been the Dark One. She's been through all sorts of things and she's alive. Don't you think that there's a reason for that? Don't you think that maybe she's still alive because she hasn't completed her purpose as yet. And the beginning of that purpose is being with you?"

"Since when did you become so wise?" Regina's voice was unsteady as she smiled at him and patted his face affectionately.

"Since I fell in love too and I began to realize that once your heart feels something, you can't chase it away," he said. "You can chase away thoughts. But once your heart gets involved, you can't. And you're in love with her, mom. You've always been. That's why you couldn't stand Hook. You were always at war with him."

She couldn't reply.

The music changed tempo and when she cast her eyes upon the dance floor, Snow and David were gone. So was Emma.

"Let's go home," he said finally. "I'll stay with you in that awfully empty house. But don't worry. She promised that she'd stay over with you. And mom wouldn't break that promise."

Regina sniffed. She smiled. "I hope so."

And they both exited the gazebo, hand in hand, walking in the direction of her Mercedes Benz.


	10. Lunchtime

She woke up alone.

Legs twisted in the red satin sheet, brown eyes fluttered open gradually and Regina groaned.

A sense of feeling completely alone and empty again. It was just the same like every other morning. But this time, the only difference was that a promise had been broken and her heart had cracked.

They had kissed again, kissed so deeply, and she had been shaken to the core after that one like no other time. In fact, nothing before had ever quaked her mind, body and soul like this. Definitely not the way Emma made her feel. When she used to ride on the pleasure of looking forward to seeing just those emerald eyes, now she realized that her body had wanted so much more.

Her soul had been longing to curl up beside Emma's own being and to stay there. Simply because they fitted together so perfectly, it was unjust to still wake up alone. It pained her deeply, so that when she did drag herself to the shower, even the warmth of the water could not weld back the pieces of her heart.

Even as she slipped into a simple pink shirt and black jeans for the day, her phone vibrated and Regina refused to take the call. Not because she was expectedly pissed. But because she was already fearing the disappointed ending to all of this. That all of this…would end badly.

"And maybe they were right all along," she said to herself whilst fixing her disheveled hair, still wet at the ends. "She's my undoing. She's going to break my heart and she's going to kill me."

Her phone began vibrating again and again and she just had to answer that damn call. No matter how hard her resistance was put up, Regina couldn't prolong the agony of hearing the other woman's voice on the line.

"Good morning, babe," Emma sounded as downcast as the brunette was. There was David's rumbling voice in the background.

"Morning," Regina mumbled, tumbling around for her red scarf because it had begun to rain and she was already trembling enough from the pangs of love to be presented with a chilly wind outdoors.

There was silence between them.

In that time, the brunette managed to wrap the scarf around her neck, allowing the two ends to fall behind those slumped shoulders. She never slouched. Never. So why was she now?

"I know that you're seriously mad at me right now," Emma began, her voice trembling a little. "And I deserve it. But last night when I brought mom and dad home, dad fell right into bed but mom was restless. She began to dance around and knock down stuff. Then…we ended up on the couch. And I had to listen to her talk about her girl crushes way past midnight. By the time I fell asleep –"

Regina sighed and that's when the blonde stopped talking.

There was more silence.

The rain was coming down in sheets by then. The sky remained darker. Lightning cut across the dark expanse outside her window.

"I couldn't help it, Regina," Emma finally said, in a softer tone. "I just couldn't leave her. God knows what she was capable of doing."

"You promised me," the older woman croaked. "But it's fine. Life goes on."

"What does that mean?" the blonde's voice was hoarser. "That life goes on."

"It means," Regina's eyes fluttered close as she stood by the window and tried to see through the thick haze of the rain, "that I keep on doing the things I do and you keep on doing the things you do. And we both live our lives."

"I would have been there in a flash," Emma sounded seriously affected. "You know that. I was so frustrated last night that she didn't –"

"I have to hang up now," the older woman felt her throat burn. "I have another call coming in," she lied. She had to. This was not the right time. This was not the way.

"And the other call is more important than me?" the blonde wanted to know.

"I really need to take it," Regina could feel herself crumbling.

"Then take it," Emma definitely sounded as if she had begun to cry. "By all means, hang up on me. I deserve it, right? You know what? I'll hang up first. Because I know when I'm not needed."

"Emma, wait –" and the brunette heard a click.

Bringing herself to remove the phone from her ear was so difficult, Regina stood there and felt herself tremble internally from failing to hold onto composure. From becoming too weak. From not listening to Emma's words and the meaning and the truth and instead, she ended up allowing her emotions to cloud her judgment.

She shouldn't have done that.

Regardless of a promise being made last night, the blonde had owned up to what had occurred to sway her directions elsewhere. Not only that, the excuse was genuine. So why was she behaving like this?

Regina slowly unwound her red scarf and she balled it up, crushing the fabric between trembling fingers. Glaring at the mirror, she pelted the scarf in that direction and began to yank off her shirt. She pulled at the buttons, then stepped onto the bottom of her jeans and tugged them off, one leg then the other.

This wasn't going to do at all.

Not today. Not when she needed to fix this. Not when she needed to get what was hers.

So moving to the closet, she pushed aside all the formal outfits and settled on a peach coloured dress that would hug every curve. The neck was low, just enough to deliver an abundance of cleavage and the length was perfect, reaching just two inches above her knees. Complementing the outfit, she chose black stilettos and opted to rake back her hair into a wild, sexy look.

Red lipstick was never an option but a priority. And so was black eyeliner. Lightly dabbing perfume on either wrist, the brunette snatched her keys on the way out, hips swaying as she went through the door and towards the kitchen.

For the entire morning Emma sulked at her desk over a shitload of paperwork to complete. By midmorning, she hadn't even reached halfway when David came in groaning and holding his head. Without saying more than two words, he managed to settle at his desk and from then on, the calls came through to a disgruntled deputy Sheriff who answered with the wariness of someone who just had a terrible hangover.

"You have an Aspirin?" he was shielding his eyes as if the sun was in the same room as them.

Emma yanked open her drawer and batted around for the bottle. She might need one or two as well from the feel of tension building up behind her temples. After tossing one across the room to her father, she downed two with some orange juice and realized that it was almost 11:30.

Great.

Meaning, she'd have to get her ass up and find something to eat, either at the Diner or at this local burger joint that had newly opened. Something that wasn't healthy, or green or leafy or…

She found herself thinking about her again, and Emma buried her head of blonde hair into folded arms on the table.

Why the hell were they always on this rocky path? Over and over again, just like old times when clarity on the situation, any situation would be a difficult task. Could this possibly go away? Never finding a way to come to terms with each other, be it with something not relating to them or their many fights over Henry.

She just needed for them to reach a point in time where they could settle down and be happy with where they were. Contented.

"I'm heading out for a walk," David rose up and reached for his brown jacket. Grabbing his keys, he didn't await a response but strode away.

So this was what her father was like when suffering from a hangover. Never before had she experienced this. And above all, Snow apparently was still buried under the sheet in bed at home.

Her parents were having the time of their lives and here she was, sulking over a bumpy affair with a roller coaster of feels attached.

She pulled the second half of the heap towards her, and was about to sign off on a complaint when the sound of the outer door opening could be heard. The obvious turn of the key, possibly meaning that her father had returned too fast. Maybe he had forgotten something. But then, the usual way he often locked back the door wasn't something she noted in the current instance.

No. Instead, the door was pressed back onto the frame in a soft fashion and then the jingle of keys could be heard down the hallway. Her father didn't have a bunch of keys. He had two keys attached onto a snowflake keychain. Two keys wouldn't create that sound.

Emma reached for her gun, immediately tensing up as her alertness flipped on. Who on earth would come into the Sheriff's station with a bunch of keys this time of the day? There were only four persons who had keys to the office. And, from the sound of it now, the second door that led into the interior main office.

Gold. Her father. Herself. And…

Regina rounded the corner, just where her father's desk was positioned and in she walked with the poise and composure of a Queen. Of course, her arrival only snatched the blonde's breath away, as the pen she was holding dropped onto the table.

That peach dress, and the low neckline that gave her an eyeful of cleavage, just enough to have the mind wander. Sparking. Little electric bolts travelled throughout her body and tingled the younger woman's mind to a point where she had to lean forward for support.

"Hello, my darling," the brunette greeted in a husky voice. She deposited a large red cooler bag onto the desk and let out a long sigh. The smile was contagious.

Emma smiled back stiffly. Well fuck. How about that? Talk about the unexpected after such a blasted gloomy morning.

"I wasn't…expecting you."

"Delighted to note the genuine surprise," Regina's brown eyes searched the room for a vacant chair and upon finding one, she gracefully flicked one hand, sending the piece of furniture closer to the blonde. "Now," she tilted her head, and gently perched herself on the edge of the desk, "allow me to say a few things."

Emerald eyes fluttered onto the heap of paperwork and she idly began to push her pen about, falling silent and staying that way.

Her countenance displayed everything, from her disappointment in their conversation earlier to feeling utterly wary about them fighting around every corner.

Regina studied the other woman's expression for a long time. Within that time, the air around them was indeed silent as a grave until a vehicle passing by stirred up their attention once more.

She cleared her throat, adjusting her seat on the desk. "Emma, I have been wrong in my behavior this morning. I shouldn't have discarded your explanation like that. Of course you had your reasons for not keeping your promise. Had you been able to sleep with me last night then you would have."

"I would have," the blonde mumbled, eyes still lowered.

"I know," Regina's expression was a look of pain after realizing how crestfallen the other woman was. "I ask for your forgiveness in everything I've done wrong thus far. And even last night when I tried to force you to have us take things fast. Even after I suggested that we take things slow."

Maybe it was frustration.

Maybe it was the slow unfolding of something she dreaded. Something that would crash and burn. And she didn't want them to crash and burn. Not when they had reached this point together.

"I'm just tired of arguing with you," Emma said. She turned the pen upwards and tried to balance it upon the desk. It fell anyway. "Will we ever be happy with each other? Like every time I see you, we can talk about happy things. And think happy thoughts. And nothing else but us being happy together?"

The older woman swallowed hard. Her eyes stung for she understood how rocky their relationship always was. Even before this revelation, with their feelings being exposed. They had always been up and down and sideways and spiraling out of control sometimes. Never had they been steady. If she didn't fire up a disagreement between them, someone else did and Emma hated her for it.

"I'll make that happen," Regina said in a tone that suggested a deep stir of emotions inside of her. Their eyes met. She held that gaze. "I promise that I'll make that happen between us."

"Because I want that," Emma twirled her pen around. "And I'll make it happen too. But only if you're going to help me."

"I will," the brunette said. She reached for the red bag and slowly began to unzip it. "Now, to begin on that happy note, my oh my do you look quite beautiful today in that shirt."

The blonde hunched her shoulders over the desk and smiled. Well, it was a start, wasn't it? Besides, if they lingered on that topic any longer, a lot of feels would drift to the surface and both of them might end up crying.

She smiled. "It's the one you gave me a while back. For my birthday."

"Yes," Regina gently lifted out a square bowl wrapped in a red cloth. She rested it upon the table. "I know that."

"And I gave you that dress for Christmas," Emma pointed out, her eyes roaming the curves on the older woman's body as the brunette was quite unaware of the scrutiny whilst fixing the lunches. "It fits perfect. And you look gorgeous. As always."

"Thank you," Regina's voice trembled a little whilst she brought the bowl around and settled it in front of Emma. "Now, guess who made lunch for her soul mate?"

The use of that description simply made her heart skip a beat. Feeling her cheeks grow warmer, Emma smiled and collected a fork wrapped in a napkin with such expertise, she wasn't surprised. Knowing how particular Regina was in everything she completed. She was really a woman who paid special attention to details.

"I know it might sound totally immature," the blonde carefully peeled away the red cover on the bowl. "But would you like to be referred to as my girlfriend?" The steam drifting out from the remarkably delicious smelling rice, topped with cubes of chicken and chopped vegetables immediately tugged at her stomach.

Regina slid off from the table's edge and she settled herself into the chair, just two inches away from Emma. "I don't mind. Providing that you would like to be referred to as the same."

"I wouldn't want anything else," the younger woman's cheeks were puffed out and full already as she smiled back.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," the brunette scolded with a soft lash from her rag. She proceeded to explain what had transpired that morning within the kitchen as she had slipped off her stilettos and attacked the stove in the same attire.

"Must have been so sexy, to see you in there working all dressed up," Emma gestured to the water cooler. Regina declined with a wave of her hand and she reached into the cooler bag, eventually fishing out two cans of orange juice.

"I've got us covered."

"Are you ever not prepared?" The blonde pulled open the lever on the cans for both of them. She always admired how Regina gracefully took her time in eating any meal placed before her.

Like now, she was carefully spooning up rice between her red painted lips, so that her lipstick wouldn't even smudge. It was almost as if she had been trained to be achieve this level of etiquette.

"So I was thinking about that date," the blonde began, realizing that her spirits had been lifted ever since the brunette walked into the room, "why don't you surprise me?"

Entertaining the idea ravished her with feels, knowing that if the older woman was to indeed surprise her, then she would be ultimately awed into blushing red.

"I was thinking that we forget that one special date. And we merely focus on building our connection," Regina suggested, "meeting each other often, perhaps?"

"Whatever you say, baby," Emma leaned back and held the bowl close to her chest.

The brunette's cheeks coloured. "I like when you call me that. It just makes me so mushy. And the one time you called me darling when we were in Neverland. Can you recall that?"

Emma frowned. Her bowl was almost empty. "No. When was that?"

How rude of her to forget, the blonde thought to herself. But then again, oftentimes we would say something to someone, only to realize that what we had said to them was so special, that they would remember it for a lifetime.

Regina's chest heaved. "When I wanted to take a dip in the lake at night, just because I couldn't go without a shower. And you said to me, "if you go in there, darling, and something gets you, then don't say I didn't warn you'. Do you remember?"

The blonde nodded and smiled. "Yeah."

"And I still slipped in and you sat there on a rock with your back to me and you took up the role of being my bodyguard," Regina said.

"Who said I didn't turn around?" Emma grinned.

Brown eyes widened. "Did you?"

The younger woman shrugged. She avoided eye contact. "I did once. But all I saw was your back and your cute little butt –"

"Emma!" Regina was surprised. She stared back.

"What?" The blonde appeared sheepish. "I had to see if anything or anyone was creeping up on you. So I had to look."

"You shouldn't have done that," the older woman's voice had grown smaller. "So you saw my tattoos, didn't you? You saw them."

"Wait," Emma sat up, her forehead creased. "I thought back then that maybe it was shadows cast from the branches or the leaves by the lake or something. I mean, the place was dark. The moon wasn't even out. So I didn't get to see much. I remember when you went under the water though," the blonde said as she noted how tensed up the older woman had grown, staring at her bowl. "I got up and was ready to jump in when you popped up back and spurted water from your mouth."

"Maybe you should have slipped in with me," Regina suddenly suggested, pushing around her food idly. "But then you were too anxious to get back to Hook."

"I wasn't. Not really," Emma was studying the other woman's face intently to detect hurt, so that she would change the conversation. "I mean, he tried to make himself important."

"And it worked…"

They locked eyes. Brown ones blinked slowly.

The blonde sighed. "Look, if I had a penny for every time I regretted being with him, I'd really come close to being a millionaire."

"Don't you think that he'll come back to you?" the brunette's voice cracked. She reached for her can of juice, eyes lowered still.

The way her hair fell into place was simply amazing, Emma thought to herself. She sighed. "Nope. Not after the last conversation we had. And even if he does come back, I no longer have any feelings for him. I'm drunk in love with someone else."

She was drowning. Regina's chest heaved and her fingers trembled around the can.

"And I'll tell you this. I wasted every damn minute being with him. When I could have been with you. All the time," Emma leaned forward whilst maintaining eye contact, "I spent with you, Regina, I was so blind. About these feelings inside of me." The blonde pressed a hand lightly on her chest. "Swirling up and trying to scream the truth, you know? Whenever I was with you, from our road trips to killing some crazy monster, the feeling was always there. This…tingly feeling."

"Tingly feeling," the brunette repeated in a husky voice.

"Yeah," the other woman nodded. "Just around my heart, like something that shook it up a little. I remember when we had pizza in New York, then ice cream, we had such a great time."

"Yes, you…made me laugh so many times. I told you that I hadn't felt that happy in a long while," Regina reflected. She took in a mouthful of food and chewed slowly.

"I remember how you sat so close to me, our shoulders touching and every time you turned to me to say something, I held my breath because I had this crazy notion that you were going to kiss me. Can you imagine that?" Emma smiled incredulously.

"I...thought the same thing about you," Regina returned with a frown. "That you wanted to kiss me. The way you kept looking at my lips. And then you took me to that bookstore, fearing that I would hate it. But goodness me, how I loved being in there. The smell of those old books and the historical volumes."

"You ended up buying like ten in one go," the blonde tilted her head and showed some teeth whilst smiling.

"You really used to frequent there a lot, did you?" the other woman studied Emma's face intently. "As a child."

"I used to spend hours in there. See," she folded her arms on the table and sat forward, their hands inches apart, "I hardly used to get any sort of allowance from my foster parent, whoever they were at the time. But I'd save up as much as I could and in the meantime, I'd go in there and look around, giving the Nancy Drew rack a twirl. Then when I did save up enough and I went in there to buy one, I just couldn't choose."

Regina chuckled. Her fingers curled up, aching for their hands to meet.

"So one day there was this guy in there, and he noticed little me gazing up at the Nancy Drew books. And he came over and he took like four from the rack. And he cashed them out, right? Then when I was leaving, Mister Austin, the old guy who owned the bookstore, he was like, 'hey wait, this kind young man just bought these for you so take them along'. You could imagine my face." Tears were in Emma's eyes.

Regina felt hers tearing up too. "Precious darling," she said softly. "If it were me, I would have bought the entire collection for you."

"Aww," the blonde blinked slowly as she smiled. "I know you would have. I don't know," Emma shrugged. "It kind of stuck with me. Even though my foster mom took the books and gave them to my foster sister."

"That was a horrible thing to do," the older woman frowned. "Thinking back now how I never knew about Nancy Drew but was introduced to her by Henry who became obsessed with Hardy Boys. However, when I was a child, I collected Jane Austen's novels along with Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens. My mother never interrupted me whilst I was reading. It was my escape from that horrid life. Father would indulge my passion for books by bringing ones from far off lands. I had this library after I was married to Leopold. But sadly," she appeared crestfallen, "all of it was left behind in the Enchanted Forest."

"But don't you have one in Mifflin Street, like now?" Emma could remember Henry mentioning it. "Downstairs next to your study?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, entwining her fingers together. She studied them. "I have the entire Hardy Boys collection in there, mind you. As well as Enid Blyton and the Famous Five."

The memories of those books, the blonde held her head and swam around in memories for a while. Knowing that she had been so obsessed back in the days upon owning those books. When money was never an option and bookstores were her definition of heaven as well as libraries. Her escape.

"Where are you, my darling?" the brunette suddenly said.

Emma felt warm fingers squeezing hers and she was brought back into the present.

"Where did you go?" Regina wanted to know.

The blonde sighed. "Just thinking of the romance in those Jane Austen books," she changed the topic. "Used to make dating seem so serious. Not that it's not serious. But you had to court someone for a while before even getting a kiss."

"Did you…go on many dates?" the older woman asked in a softer tone, still allowing their fingers to entwine. "When you were a teenager?"

"Mostly after sixteen," Emma confessed. "Before Neal, I had a few…you know."

"One night stands," Regina remembered clearly from conversations they had before.

"Yeah, I couldn't commit because I couldn't connect with anyone. I slept with guys because I wanted to feel something. And when I woke up in the morning, I just disappeared." Those emerald eyes had a far off look. "And Neal, he kind of came in just when I was plummeting. I started using drugs. And he pulled me back up with all these promises and stuff. And then…" she reached for her can of juice. "Well, shit happened."

The older woman remained silent. She allowed the blonde to connect with those memories and to ride them out.

"Anyway," Emma gestured at her, "what about you? Did you go on many dates?"

"Not like what you would define as a date," Regina said. "I went riding with Daniel every day and we spent time together in this spot we had on a mountain that overlooked a beautiful lake. He read to me," her voice remained level. But her eyes glistened a little. "He was the only one during my teenage years. Until I married Leopold and he was rather abusive."

"Damn him," Emma scowled.

The door could be heard being opened and then closed with a bang. David. Regina's eyes met hers and she sighed. Well, there went their slice of privacy. They had roughly spent almost two hours together. So why was she feeling the emptiness already of having Regina walk out of the room?

"Am I interrupting?" David came in and rested his keys upon the table. He remained standing nevertheless. "You two want me to do a bit of filing at the back or…"

"No, it's fine," Regina collected Emma's empty bowl and smiled at the blonde after noting how her meal had been consumed, regardless of the lack of meat but abundance of vegetables. "It's time for the two of you to get back to work whilst I slip into the office to take care of some paperwork myself. Behave yourself," she got up and leaned forward to press a kiss onto Emma's lips.

Momentarily, the blonde's eyes fluttered close as she savored that. Even if it merely lasted for two seconds.

Regina packed up her things and headed away from the inner office.

She could have let her go. Could have. But at times, there was always this daunting feeling that pained her. That forced her to believe that maybe something would happen and this would be her last day. And she didn't want to have the woman she love walk away like this.

"Be right back," she said to David and quickly rose from her chair.

Emma jogged after the brunette. She was just in time to meet her by the door.

Regina spun around, her eyes wide and lips parted. "Did I…forget something?" she wondered.

The blonde shook her head. Even though she was trying to maintain her composure, that was failing when her hands reached out and captured the older woman's shoulders. She pulled her closer, closing the distance.

"I just forgot to tell you…" her voice was hoarse, "thank you so much for coming here today and for taking the time to make me lunch. You really…" her face moved nearer, noting how the other woman was breathless, "…you really surprised me and I can't wait to see you again. Every time you leave me, Regina…you just take half of my heart with you."

The brunette's eyes blinked slowly. She breathed through her lips. "Oh, Emma."

And that's when she leaned in and kissed her deeply. Moving the older woman to the wall where she sandwiched her between the space and all the while, her control on the situation was evident. The way she captured those red lips between hers and pressed in deeper. Tasting and moving their mouths together. A low throaty moan escaped Regina.

The brunette balled her fists full with Emma's shirt and she curled into her, knees growing dangerously weak. Even as they rode through the wave of passion between them, it was evident how strong what they felt for each other was. Too strong. Strong enough to have them hold their breaths for a long time, and never desire to do anything otherwise.

"How the hell am I supposed to survive without making love to you?" Emma whispered, as their bodies moved together slowly, their cheeks pressed together.

Regina's hands were wound around the other woman, and she gasped from the intensity of their connection. Feeling immediately as the blonde's hand boldly roamed between her thighs and was moving upwards. She was on fire. And there was no way her heart would stop racing.


	11. Snow Knows Best

For three days after, Regina was swept into meetings about rebuilding the town after damages done prior. The destruction was terrible, and the upcoming rainy season wasn't to be disregarded due to the weakening dams that allowed water to seep through.

At times, she would find herself sitting in a meeting and paying no attention to anything said. Simply because her mind was elsewhere and entirely focused on Emma. The way she would greet her every morning with a text. If not a text, then a call. They would begin their conversation with light words, and eventually both of them would settle down whilst engaging in a deep connection that curled their toes.

So far, as based on their talk that night about getting to know each other more, they were digging in deeper as the days went by. But it was just the lack of not seeing each other that dampened her mood. That made her somewhat cranky in those same meetings that lasted the entire day about discussions on accounts and preparations and plans.

All Regina wished for was one day set aside to spend some time alone with the woman she had fallen deeply in love with. Not only that, but getting to see her more than often. Getting to touch her. To hold her hand. That's all she wanted.

Thursday came and went without a word being exchanged during the day between them. Nothing. Because Emma was buried deep in filing away complaints and she was once again…in a meeting. This time, Snow was present due to her involvement in the school system again as a teacher. And the matters arising focused on the expansion of the school to accommodate the growing number of children that were enrolling.

It was three o'clock when they finally concluded the conference discussion. She was tired from just sitting in one attitude for over five hours, only breaking shortly for lunch. All Regina wanted was to tumble onto her bed and take a long nap. Until Snow approached her and suggested that they share a cup of cocoa since it was a rainy day and as promised, the younger woman had lots to talk about.

"My place," Snow welcomed the thought with a smile. "If you don't mind?"

Regina accepted with a stiff smile and accompanied the other woman to the small and cozy apartment that she had often frequented. It seemed as if the only thing that had changed was the addition of a new piece of furniture. A small table made of wood with birds carved into the surface, obviously for baby Neal.

Snow allowed her to hold him as she prepared the cups of cocoa. So Regina gently took the small child into her arms and rocked him back and forth, immediately feeling overwhelmed and reminiscing on Henry's days when he was a baby.

"You look so good with him," Snow said after a while, as she observed the older woman with Neal. Her eyes softened. Stirring the cup of cocoa, she suddenly had a thought. "Wouldn't you like to experience that again?"

"Experience what?" Regina turned to face her, frowning a bit.

The other woman shrugged. "Having a baby of your own. Raising a baby. That sort of thing."

Regina couldn't help it. She chuckled. "Snow, you're quite aware of my inability to complete such a thing."

"I know that," the younger woman noted. She carried the cups of cocoa into the small living room and rested Regina's own upon the table gently. "I'm talking about, and don't hate me for jumping the gun, you and Emma."

When the older woman didn't say anything but she simply continued soothing the baby with soft kisses, Snow sighed. Settling herself onto the chair, she wondered what was happening between the two. Knowing somewhat that Emma appeared contented a little. Although she had been saying little to nothing.

"It's going to work, Regina," she said softly, her face upturned as she considered the other woman. "You and Emma. You're going to last. So you shouldn't be afraid of what's to come. For some odd reason, I could never feel her click with anyone, even Neal. Well obviously I'll ignore the most recent one."

Snow scowled. "But with you, it seems like something that was a long time coming. And I can feel how strong the connection between the two of you is. Something that strong doesn't die."

"I think he's asleep," Regina didn't contribute to the conversation.

Snow gestured to the cradle. "She's seriously in love with you, you do know that, right?" She watched the older woman walk slowly to the cradle and she settled the baby into the depths. "We don't talk much about it. But from what I can see, she hasn't been this caught up in Killian or Neal."

"Is it okay if I cover him?" Regina wanted to know, and her voice was unsteady. "With the green blanket?"

Snow sighed. "Yes. You can cover him up. Are you even listening to me? Come sit over here before I explode."

Sighing, the older woman took her time in covering up Neal. She fixed his yellow teddy bear just where he could reach it, and smiling after remembering that Emma had given him that toy. She had such a soft side, Emma. The softest side ever. But then again, she could be such a warrior when things developed darts to throw at her.

Her Emma.

"Yes, Snow," she slowly made her way to the couch and sat down. Taking her cup of cocoa, Regina folded her feet under and soaked up the fuzzy feeling of being in love and having the rain pour around them heavily. "What is it you wish to talk about?"

"Are you two in a relationship?" The other woman studied Regina's face intently. "Because she hasn't said anything to me. And I feel somewhat offended that neither of you have talked to me about this."

"Yes," Regina nodded once, lowering her eyes to meet the cup of cocoa. "We are. But it's just begun. I think that you should give her time to…come around and talk to you about it. What we've been through. It's been quite…unsettling."

"Should I be worrying?" Snow frowned, leaning in a little as the blinds flapped from the heavy winds. "About the two of you I mean."

"Not really."

"Sometimes things will be a little unsettling at the beginning. It's what happens, you know? Look at how David and I began. Many ups and downs. But we…we pulled through and look where we are."

Regina sipped on her cocoa. Her throat ached, due to literally feeling the pain of being away from Emma.

"It was so sudden, I can tell," Snow continued in a gentle manner. "One moment you two were with someone and then both of those commitments ended. Then here you are. It hasn't been long since…well…" she didn't want to mention Killian's departure nor Robin's demise. Snow felt a little unsettled herself. "But you're here. And that's all that matters."

"I just feel…" Regina began in a rush, but she quickly placed a lid on her emotions and tried to breathe. Her eyes fluttered close. "I just feel as if every time this happens, I'm going to lose. I'm not going to get what I want. In other words, it's not going to last."

"But if you keep thinking that way, then that's just what will happen," Snow assured her. "I'm not saying that you wanted things to end between Daniel or Robin but life has a strange way of handling things for us. Maybe this is where your happiness begins, Regina."

"Sometimes we may never know that for sure but we have to keep believing that eventually, we will settle and things will fall into place. And if you consider what you can have with Emma, look how many things have settled already."

She lightly touched the other woman's hand. Their eyes met.

"You both share a son already. You've known each other for quite some time. Been through many ups and downs. You both know each other. You've believed in each other above anyone else. Emma has always been on your side, regardless of what has happened."

"She's…saved you. She sacrificed her soul to save you. Apart from that, neither of you have the kind of issue where you now have to come out and tell the family about how you feel, fearing if they will accept it. Both of you belong to the same family and honestly, all David and I have ever wanted is for the two of you to be happy." There were tears in her eyes.

Regina's lips quivered a little.

"I don't care and I never cared about how that would happen. For neither of you. But when I found out that the two of you were becoming more than friends, I welcomed it because this is possibly the best way for both of you to be comfortable and happy. With each other."

"I don't know how you're going to do it. But I can promise you that Emma will never give up on you. So you have to decide now if you'll keep her. Or if you'll let her go. I don't think fate wants you to let her go."

She could have sat there and cried. She could have. But what would happen when all that amount of weakness was displayed? Breaking down? No. She had to be strong. She had to show that whatever composure remained, that much was promising. Not to Snow alone. But to herself.

"I haven't seen her since Monday," Regina confessed, just as Snow was reaching for the remote. "It pains me to say it and I'll probably sound rather childish but my heart hurts when we're apart. That happens between you and David, doesn't it?" Her eyes glistened with tears.

"You're going to ask?" Snow's voice was soft. "Of course! One of the reasons why we've always found each other is because the pain of being away from each other fuels us to get back together. You might find our tagline really annoying but now I think that you understand how important that is to us."

Regina nodded. Her chest heaved. "We're in the same town, and I feel as if she's a million miles away."

"Then don't you think that you should do everything in your will to find her and be with her?" Snow suggested. "Don't you think that you should do that? You're both waiting on each other to close the distance but what if you actually step up and do something about it?"

Brown eyes stared at nothing. She was drowning in those words.

"Right now, I can tell you where she is," Snow said. "She's just wrapping up at work, after a long and tiresome day of filing paperwork. And then she's going to head home alone and she's going to wish that you're there with her but she's going to stop herself from calling you because why? Because she's going to think that you're tired from your meeting all day and you wouldn't be able to be with her."

That's exactly what she had in mind. It was miraculous how Snow could delve in so deep and sift out the truth.

"Surprise her," the other woman said. "She didn't drive to work today. She walked. Get into your car. Get over there just in time and pick her up. Then you can get creative after that because I know that you're a hopeless romantic, Regina. I've known you for years. And if it's one thing you can do to wow Emma, it's showing her how deeply you can care about someone you love. Because you go the extra mile and you really and truly love with your entire heart and then some more."

She gazed at Snow for a long time.

It was true. No one knew her as well as Snow did. No one. That part of her that Snow had seen many years ago. That innocent part. That…mushy side of her. She had returned to being that person once again. Well, not the innocent bit but the softened persona.

After finishing her cup of cocoa, Regina thanked Snow for the enlightening talk and she made her way down to the car. Then gracefully getting into her Mercedes Benz, the brunette turned the key and drove away with one purpose in mind.

She didn't realize how long she had been parked out front of the Sheriff's station until Storybrooke's clock chimed for five. Playing Suduko on her phone could really pass the time.

Regina eyed the front of the building and waited, tapping her fingers upon the steering wheel. It wasn't in her nature to grow impatient these days. Not when she had calmed down.

Just when the door to the Sheriff's station opened up, her heart gave a leap. She leaned forward and remained hopeful. Just as Snow had suggested. More room for optimism.

Lo and behold, Emma showed herself, wearing her red leather jacket, a blue tank top and black jeans. She had on her knee high brown boots with a yellow backpack. Just like a big kid, the brunette smiled, especially with her black beanie.

She was already fitting her earphones into one ear so Regina honked twice. At first, the blonde stared in that direction, whilst notably displaying the deer in the headlights look. She was obviously surprised. Then just as the rain turned from a drizzle into a mild downpour, Emma jogged out towards the car.

Her heart was pounding as she unlocked the door so that the younger woman could slip in. Regina was breathless already. Collecting Emma's bag, she deposited it into the backseat and her fingers brushed red leather. The smooth, soft feel, reminding her of those times when she used to despise that particular article of clothing. Now, all she wanted to do was to steal it to sleep with at nights.

Emerald eyes turned upon her. "What are you doing here?" Emma whispered.

Regina reached out without thinking and began to fix tangled blonde tendrils that were caught under the beanie. "To pick you up, silly." She guiltily ran her fingers like a comb through Emma's blonde hair and felt how her chest fluttered. "How was your day?"

"It was…" the younger woman still seemed surprised from the sudden appearance, "long, boring and painful. Yours?"

"Same," Regina's cupped fingers travelled to the blonde's fair cheek and she caressed there slowly.

"Talk about us expecting a freaking storm," emerald eyes considered the sky just outside the window. "My bed seems so much more inviting now but I don't want to sleep alone."

Her words had such a massive impact on the brunette, it was evident as the younger woman's smile faltered.

"I…" Regina quickly turned her eyes forward and gripped the steering wheel tighter, "think that we might experience a mild flood due to the crack in the dam."

Emma said nothing. She merely gazed.

"Spent all week thus far debating on repairs," Regina nervously laughed. "Ranging from the school to the bridge to the dams. I'm beat. Talk about long, boring meetings. I've had my share. And it's not like -"

"I want to kiss you so hard right now," Emma said. Just like that.

The brunette stopped, her lips remaining parted as she stared at the younger woman in awe.

"Like…all over. I've been dying to know how you taste. Every part of you," the blonde's voice was husky. Fire danced in her eyes. "And the most painful part is, every damn time I think of my bed, I think of you in it. And you're not wearing any clothes. Because I just have been aching to rip those off of you all damn week."

The gaze that was enacted lasted for such a long time, the rain came down harder, pounding on the roof of the car. Yet, neither of them made any move to close the distance. What was being said silently through their eyes meeting was far more than either of them expected. For Emma was very open about what she wanted until Regina found that breathing was not easily achieved.

She was suffocating.

The heat inside the car was becoming unbearable and nervously, she flipped on the AC.

It was then and only then when the brunette turned the key and the engine roared to life. Then without wasting any more time, she swung the car out of the parking lot and into the road.

"I can see that you have not been at work mentally today," she said, her voice trembling a little as she tried to keep her eyes on the clouded road ahead.

"Thanks to you, I'm sex deprived for crying out loud," Emma folded her arms and stared ahead.

"Hey!" Regina seemed offended. "Just so you know, so am I. And it's been longer for me than it has been for you. Apparently."

"You might think so," the blonde reached out with one hand and touched the plastic apple upon the dashboard. "Come to think of it, throughout the damn relationship, I was never…I never…" she swallowed, balling her fists up. "You know…"

Regina raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you never slept with him. Because I'll never believe that for a second –"

"My alarm never went off, if you know what I mean," Emma spread her legs apart and sat back, which was totally unlike the way the other woman who was upright and composed.

Brown eyes, however, rested on the blonde. Regina sighed. "Mine hasn't gone off in over a decade if we're speaking about the same thing, my darling."

"Really?" it was Emma's turn to stare back in awe. "Shit, he was that bad?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. Her chest heaved. "Well he tried his best. So did Graham and…well," she wasn't about to bring HIM up because he was an awful bout of nothing. "Nothing ever came out of it that would be considered as…like you said, setting my alarm off."

Emma chuckled whilst shaking her head. She honestly couldn't believe that they were on the same boat in that instance. Knowing fully well that she had underestimated that Robin could ever match up to the brunette. However, what was baffling was that Regina suddenly seemed like a woman who was really hard to please in that department. And she suddenly feared that she couldn't ever live up to that doing anything but disappointing.

"Relax," Regina smiled, and she reached out with cupped fingers to caress Emma's cheek. "You'll do just fine." She chuckled.

The other woman sat up. "How in the world is that supposed to make me feel better?" Emma wanted to know. "I mean, if they couldn't, then what do I have that would…you know?"

"Female body parts," Regina smiled back, her cheeks colouring. "Well for starters. And you're not a Robin or a Graham or whoever else. You're Emma. The same Emma who has me feeling this way, as deeply in love and out of control with myself than any other person has ever made me feel. Daniel included. And he was considered to be my soul mate. So go figure."

The car finally swung into the small patch of grass in front of Emma's house and the rain had eased down.

"Listen, I'll be frank with you, okay?" the blonde turned in her seat to grab the bag from the backseat. "I'm literally losing my sanity over you. Waiting for the right time. Afraid of you not wanting to go there with me. Because that's how it feels –"

"Emma, that's not true", Regina began with a frown.

"No, I've been going insane over the past few weeks about this. After Monday when we had lunch, I started thinking some pretty deep things about you. And I reached a point where I said, you know what, fuck this…I'm going to tell her exactly how I feel and what I want. So," Emma slipped her bag on and the beanie was slightly twisted on her head of blonde tendrils. "Here's the thing. I don't want to wait until tomorrow. I don't want to get in there and sulk and fall into bed alone. I want to have you with me for the weekend and when I say that, I mean it."

Regina was gazing at her intently, with the kind of love in her eyes that anyone would wish to see, knowing that they were treasured.

"Okay," the brunette nodded. She bit her lips.

Emma stared back. "That's all you're going to say?"

"I'm saving up my words for when we get inside," Regina tilted her head a little. She smiled. "Then I'm going to tell you my side. Or rather," she narrowed her eyes, "how I feel and what I want you to do to me."

The blonde swallowed hard. She blinked two times too many. "I'm so close to seeing the tattoos, aren't I?"

That was enough to have the older woman laugh hoarsely. She had tears in her eyes. "Well if you indeed wish to see them, then who am I to stop you? I'm yours, aren't I? Your one and only. The Wanda to your Cosmo."

"Don't…" Emma stared back. "Don't you ever. Don't do that. I'm not Cosmo."

"Of course you are."

"I'm not." The blonde scowled. "I'm not some fairy guy whose head is filled with music, okay?"

Regina bit back her laugh.

"Come to me with something like, me being Elizabeth Bennet and you being…I don't know, Miss Darcy or something. But don't call me a Cosmo." She was really growing worked up from the reference.

"Okay, Miss Bennet," Regina pulled the key out of the ignition and unclipped her seatbelt. "Take Miss Darcy inside now before she thinks you're tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt her."

"I'm not handsome," Emma opened her door. "I'm sexy."

"So says the woman who dresses like a kid," Regina got out of the car and their eyes met.

"So says the woman who loves me," the blonde returned, resting her arms up on the top of the Benz. "So says the woman who's dying inside to have me make love to her. Because she knows I'm going to set her alarm off."

Regina merely shook her head, although her cheeks coloured and began to make her way up to the house, keys jingling as she went.


	12. Pizza Talk

She managed to get a fire going, settling down on the chair before the hearth with a cup of cocoa between her fingers.

Regina was in the small kitchen, pretending to only wash her hands but the younger woman knew what she was up to. She was assessing the available supplies in order to whip up a meal for them both.

That was Regina.

She always was the kind of woman who needed to make things right. She needed to make things feel somewhat…comfortable. And if that couldn't be achieved, then the brunette would feel unsettled.

Their conversation in the car was still lingering on her mind. Emma sat on the chair and was lost in her own thoughts. How Regina had confessed that she had never reached that high with anyone in a long time. Ten years and more, was it? But then, even before Graham, and after Daniel, were there others? Was there someone who maybe got in and was hard to get over?

Was it a he?

She did say that there was never anything intimate between her and another woman.

"How do you survive in this place, Emma?" Regina showed herself, hands planted on her hips. "Your food supplies have depleted and there is nothing to even make a decent meal with." As expected, she seemed quite unsettled about that.

"I'll order pizza," the blonde smiled, showing teeth as she reached for the phone.

Regina sighed. "Emma, I don't want you to develop any kind of health problems due to your consumption of unhealthy food. We have a future to think of." She moved to the couch and carefully took a seat whilst the other woman ordered a full veggie pizza.

A future, huh? Great. Just…great. Now she wasn't just hungry but she was swimming in a pool of feels, honestly thinking about the two of them and Henry really becoming a family. A wedding. Maybe so much more in the future. Who could tell?

"I was thinking," Emma curled up into the sofa and their feet managed to meet. They both watched their lower limbs entwine together. "About your past. Before Graham. Like…" she didn't want to come across as nosy but she had every right to ask questions that seemed important. "Was there someone else after Daniel and before Graham?"

For a while, Regina just stared at her. Dark hair curled a little around her ears. The rise and fall of her chest signaled that she was relaxed.

"No, there wasn't, Emma," she finally said but in a soft voice. A long sigh escaped from between parted lips. "I was too consumed in achieving revenge on your parents with blood on my hands that no one wanted to even consider me as a potential lover."

"That's sad," Emma frowned.

"What about you?" Regina smirked. "Since you've decided to pry into my past. Was there something between you and August?"

Something between…what? She had to be kidding. Where in the world did that one come from?

"Eew. No," the blonde seemed upset. "Babe, he's like a brother."

"And I suppose that he feels the same about this…as you?"

She was prying. Boldly. The blonde liked when they had these intense conversations. But at times, she just wished that they'd cut the roller coaster ride and narrow in on the obvious. That they really needed to let off some steam by being seriously intimate. Not that she was begging, but anyone would understand the terrible urge they would have by sitting next to a woman like Regina, who had feelings for you, and not being given a chance to undress her.

"He feels the same," she began to feel around in her jeans pockets for change to pay the pizza guy. "The hell," Emma seemed amused, "I have a bunch of twenties here all rolled up. Oh wait," she stared at Regina. "Mom gave me her rent to pay off the landlady and…" Her mouth formed into an O. "Oh shit I forgot!"

The brunette sighed. "Really, Emma, you are quite a catastrophe."

"Gimme a sec," the younger woman announced, rising up from the chair. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, that's not necessary –" Regina began, holding up a hand but Emma had already disappeared on the spot in a puff of smoke. Those brown eyes flicked up to the ceiling.

At times, she honestly believed that the blonde had seriously taken after her mother. They could become so naïve at times, it was unbelievable.

When Emma did reappear, she seemed somewhat relieved, letting out a long sigh and tumbling onto the chair.

"I'm back," her grin showed an abundance of teeth. "Missed me? Bet you did, huh?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Darling, I was going to tell you that the landlady pays me. I am the owner of the apartment building your parents reside in."

Emerald orbs widened. "So, I didn't have to pay her?"

The older woman's chest heaved. "No, Emma."

"But why? She's the landlady."

"I'm the owner," Regina gestured at herself, her voice growing huskier.

"Yeah, but the landlady collects the rent. Not the owner," The blonde's face showed pure innocence.

Regina swallowed hard. Her fists clenched and unclenched. "I…collect the final payment, Emma."

"But you don't collect the first –"

"I will –" Regina sprang up from the chair and her face contorted as she struggled to maintain composure, "…choke you senseless. Don't tempt me. I swear."

The blonde grabbed her throat and began to make a gagging sound, head tilting sideways. She eventually stopped and smiled widely. "Gotcha."

"You are such a big kid!" the older woman stared incredulously. In fact, they both stared at each other for quite some time until the doorbell rung and Emma headed in that direction to handle the delivery.

She couldn't believe how relieved her mind felt. Almost as if the bad vibes had been drained out of her life all of a sudden, and replaced by complete happiness. Emma, the brunette thought to herself, was somehow the best thing that had ever happened to her in a long time. Because after just a week, the two of them had grown so close, it was unbelievable how someone's life could change for the better like that.

Actually forcing her to think about a future involving the two of them together. With Henry. As a family. Paying close attention to what the other woman wanted, and how she could find ways to make her happy. Her life had become, once again, split into two. Just like when her son had been a baby, and it wasn't about her alone. Now she had someone who deeply cared about her, and someone to love more than she loved herself.

Emma returned to the small living room in a lazy stride, already fumbling with the box to pull open the flap.

"I call dibs on the last slice," she said as the brunette folded her feet under and created space on the couch. After all, she was the fast food junkie.

The time eventually passed with the two of them eating without speaking much. Because naturally, Emma was famished, and her speed in moving through four slices served as justification on that statement. Whilst admiring the action from her end, Regina merely ate two slices, savouring the green peppers and pine slices.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've been with a woman but you're not telling me?" the blonde suddenly started the conversation again. Her eyes narrowed.

Regina was slowly sucking sauce from her thumb, appearing so ridiculously cute whilst doing it as well. Not even that escaped the younger woman's attention as she admired the display.

"I haven't," the brunette simply said. She playfully reached over and plucked a square of pineapple off of Emma's slice. Then tucking it between her lips, she smirked.

"You so have," the blonde wasn't convinced. "What was her name?"

"I haven't been with another woman," Regina told her. The sound of raindrops hitting the windows could be heard. The green blinds flapped a little from the gusty wind.

"Why are you lying to me?" Emma said in a flat voice, obviously not meaning to offend. She meant it as a joke. "Just tell me who she is so I can at least know who my competition is."

"There was no woman," the brunette leaned forward a little. "The only woman I've ever fallen in love with is you."

"And you expect me to believe that?" the younger woman chewed on the end of her slice, emerald eyes latched onto brown ones.

"Yes." Regina curled her shoulders forward, relaxing her posture. "Why would I lie to you?"

Emma shrugged.

"What about you and Lily?" the brunette suddenly asked. "I know you had a thing for her. I could detect that…from the second the two of you met."

Something quickly flickered over the younger woman's face. "The pineapples taste kind of sour. Should have gone with the chicken Hawaiian." She changed the subject.

"Emma…" Regina pressed on, her forehead creasing from being concerned.

"I don't want to talk about it," the blonde stated in a stiff tone. Their eyes didn't connect. Instead, she lowered hers to consider the three slices remaining. "Maybe someday but not now. Aren't you eating anymore?"

The brunette blinked slowly, her throat aching after feeling entirely guilty that she had kicked up an ants nest. Her eyes stung.

"No. You can have the rest."

"Great," Emma smiled.

Regina couldn't help it. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"No worries," the younger woman closed the lid and lifted the box off the couch. She rested it on the small table nearby. "Certain questions I don't feel comfortable talking about."

"I understand that," Regina's voice had grown huskier again. "But if we are to make this work between us, we need to at least bring some things into the light. I want to know so much more about you. There are things I want to ask you."

"Then ask away," Emma said, appearing unfazed by the other woman's words. She used the tissue to wipe her fingers. "Don't expect me to answer every single question though. I have my limits."

Brown eyes glistened a little. Of course she couldn't help it. "Okay." Her lips pressed together instead of remaining parted to display how her composure had weakened. "I just thought that when you deeply care about someone and when you feel such a strong connection with them, then it is perfectly fine to expose everything you feel has been troubling you."

"I don't need to be fixed," Emma perhaps said it too bluntly but never meant her words to take on such a harsh tone.

"I never meant it like that," Regina croaked. "I don't…want to fix you," she found that making eye contact was even harder when they were reaching a bruised spot. "I just want to understand your broken pieces better."

The blonde gazed at her. She said nothing.

"I have so many broken pieces too. At times, they cut me so deeply inside because I have no one to confide with. And no one understands me better than you, Emma. They'll judge me. But you wouldn't because you are already convinced that everything I did, I did it with a reason. Whether good or bad, I did unspeakable things but I will not regret them."

Emma sighed. She balled up the tissue. "Regina, how do you expect to understand my broken pieces when you can't even understand yours?"

"I understand mine," the brunette said defensively.

The younger woman shook her head. She adjusted herself on the couch, folding her legs and getting comfortable enough.

"Have you ever sat down and asked yourself why you killed someone?" Emerald eyes met brown ones. "I'm not going to ever judge you on that and you know it. But have you ever one that? Like think back on someone you've killed and you ask yourself, 'why did I do it?' and 'was there another option?' and after you've asked yourself that and you feel that…pain. Then and only then will you even begin to understand someone else's pain."

Brown eyes had grown fiery but gradually, the fire died down because of Emma's soft tone.

"Look, I'm not perfect and you know that," the blonde pointed out. "I've done all kinds of drugs: meth, cocaine, ecstasy, you name it. I've…" she gestured with her hand, "…had so many one night stands. I even got pregnant way before Henry and I had an abortion. But guess what, I'm not going to sit here and say that I don't regret those things. Because I've embraced what the pain has done to me. All those experiences have made me stronger."

Nothing used to prepare her for that. Knowing that she had made that one move to let go of someone so close to her. A baby. Someone who would have loved her unconditionally. But then…she wouldn't have met Regina…

"I regret giving up that kid. Because I had a choice. I regret using drugs," Emma confessed. "I regret…hooking up with Killian. People claim that you shouldn't have regrets. But it's not about not having regrets. It's about owning up to what the hell you did and moving on from there."

Her tone wasn't harsh. But passion resonated within those words, enough to cast a chill upon the older woman's heart."

"And you think that I should own up to being the Evil Queen," Regina said with tears in her eyes.

"I think that you already did." Emma returned. "Because as soon as you started doing good things, it means that you understood that the things you did in your past were bad enough to hurt people. So you decided to save people instead. That's called redemption."

Remembering what she had done, and the many acts of kindness. The blonde sighed.

"It means that you owned up. Yeah you might say that at the time you had no choice, but you and I both know, and I'll keep this between us, that there were things you did that weren't necessary. Am I right?" She shrugged.

"Yes," Regina sniffed. She bit her lips.

"Good, then you have regrets. Don't you?"

It took her a while to respond but she did. The brunette nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Yes."

"So now, like you told me, I'm the only one who got in to the deepest part of you in there," the blonde pointed at the older woman's chest. "So guess what, I probably know you more than you know yourself."

"You might think so," Regina's voice had grown softer.

"I don't have to know what you've done," Emma said matter-of-factly. "I only need to pay attention to how you react and what makes you emotional and what makes you cry. And what makes you happy. And I can know you. I know that you have three kinds of smiles."

She realized that the other woman was gazing at her now, deeply interested to know more. At times, Regina found herself become lost in those shades of emerald. Almost as if drowning was entirely possible through the meeting of eyes. Through that simple connection.

"The little one you give when you approve," the blonde began in a soft tone. "The wider one you give when you're being extra sassy and sarcastic. And then there's the one you do…when you're breathless and your chest heaves and you're so overwhelmed, you show a lot of teeth."

Regina was obviously in awe.

"That's the one you gave me today when I got into your car. That's the same one you gave me when that damn flying monstrosity was destroyed at the town line. Don't think I forget these things. Because I don't," Emma shifted in her place and smiled back when tears leaked from brown eyes. "I've seen you give Robin the same smile and I'll admit that it made me pretty jealous. But hey," the blonde shrugged, "I'm getting those same smiles now and I'm loving it."

"Oh Emma," Regina croaked, she sniffed too many times. Her chest heaved uncontrollably.

"I know you like the back of my hand, babe," Emma said, smiling back. "So don't think you can sit there and lie to me. With you, I don't have to use my superpower anymore. I know you way better than I know anyone else."

The brunette immediately smiled whilst showing some teeth. Her chest still heaved and she seemed to be utterly overwhelmed. Knowing that there was one person who could understand her so well, almost as if she wasn't hard to decipher. But all her pieces had been pulled together again, from the instance of knowing that someone cared enough. It wasn't about how broken she was. It was about how loving another person who was as flawed as you could be just perfect in a new normal.

Suddenly, one of the windows on the eastern side of the house burst open and the blinds flapped wildly. Gusts of wind rushed in and even though it hadn't begun to rain as yet, the weather was behaving like a wild animal.

Emma picked herself up in a hurry and hustled to the window, eager to seal off the interior from the wind that was picking up speed. Finally succeeding, and pushing the latch into place, the blonde hung onto the frame a little.

Make her come to me, she thought. Praying. Hoping that for once, her wish would be answered. Make her want me as much as I want her. Because it's eating away at me. I want so much more. Even if it's just this time and then a long time after.

"Are you coming back?" Regina's husky voice tickled Emma's heart.

The blonde sighed, her face turned to the outside instead. "Don't know." She sounded so tired all of a sudden. "Do you want me to?"

"Don't be ridiculous," the older woman said from on the couch.

"That's what it is," Emma murmured.

"What's that?" Regina's forehead creased from falling into a bout of concern.

Fair fingers lightly caressed the edge of the green blind, noting the gold embroidery. The set had been a gift from her mother. She had many other sets in the garage, stowed away for future use. So why had she become so disgusted with them all of a sudden? The edges of her long sleeved grey jersey jacket had green flowers woven into the fabric. Regina had slipped into a green wool sweater with faded blue jeans.

But for some odd reason, she was terribly becoming disgusted with the smallest things. And maybe, it was the mood she had fallen into. One that reflected how bruised the moment was. Attempting to bury a sore under a mountain. When the actual feels swelling from the sore spot was becoming too much to settle with.

Warm hands snaked around her waist.

For a moment, she trembled a little, adjusting to the intrusion from behind her as those emerald eyes fluttered close.

So wishes did come true in that small world of hers.

Emma allowed herself to be hugged.

The older woman rested her chin upon blonde hair bunched up on the younger woman's left shoulder. She inhaled the soft scent of vanilla and savouring how grand it was to settle into another female's softness. Into Emma's every curve, and the way she felt so vibrant with warmth. Like a beacon of light shining into her soul and melting all the ice caps away that had formed from shards of pain.

Regina sighed.

And just like that, Swan reached for the other woman's hand behind her. But with purpose of course. She gently led the brunette to the front, sandwiching her between the window and her body that was already on fire.

They gazed at each other.

It was Regina whose curled fingers tucked blonde strands behind the younger woman's ears.

"You can't begin to imagine how beautiful you are in my eyes," she said. Her fingers lingered just by fair cheeks that had begun to take up a light blush. "To me, you've always been the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Emma smiled. She felt those darn butterflies again, fluttering around inside her chest. "Man, I don't think so."

"Why?" The brunette croaked, drawing their hips closer together. Her hands fell lower, just behind Emma's shoulders and she gently pulled the younger woman in closer. Their lips brushed together, and the slice of bliss felt was priceless.

"You know why…" Emma's voice had grown huskier. She could literally feel her knees weaken. All her worries vanished.

"Because you seriously believe that I've been with another woman," Regina voiced her suspicions. But with a smile. She brought their lips to meet again, but briefly before rubbing their noses together. "The only other woman I've been with was…me."

The blonde pulled apart just a little to stare. "You mean…the Evil Queen?"

Regina swore under her breath. She rolled her eyes. "Emma, certainly not. That is too twisted for even my mind to allow. I was referring to pleasuring myself. If you must know down to the simplest description I can manage."

Emerald eyes widened. She swallowed. "Ohh. I can only imagine what –"

The brunette yanked the other woman closer to her, closing the distance between their lips and as the kiss was initiated, a mewl escaped Emma. She wasn't prepared. Not when those thoughts had just been developing within her mind. Of the other woman touching herself intimately. Her hands roaming as she twisted under the prying actions.

She curled into Regina, almost in a protective manner with having the advantage of being just a few inches taller. It was enough to consider quite accommodating. Knowing that whenever they kissed, she would always have that advantage, being able as well, and just as she did in that moment, to lift the brunette up easily.

With the kiss deepening and her their lips moving together slowly and passionately, Emma planted Regina upon the window seat, strategically bringing their hips on the same level. And those glorious soft thighs belonging to the older woman wrapped around her. Drawing her nearer. As near as she could ever manage. Whilst eager hands roamed all the way down her back and she could feel those fingernails belonging to the brunette taunting; trailing pathways along her skin.

She was already awakened. She already wanted more. So much more.

For her sake especially, Emma hoped that the front and back door were secured enough to keep out intruders. Because she slowly began to peel Regina's green sweater upwards. And as the brunette moaned through their kiss, the younger woman was ready more than ever to lower herself and explore some more without the use of hand. But the availability of her mouth.


	13. The Window Seat

She had managed to become halfway undressed within a span of five seconds.

Regina, after deeply growing thirsty and aching to have their lips meet again, was forced to rest her head back upon the window glass. As Emma trailed soft kisses between her exposed breasts. Her heaving chest. And her heart that would not slow down, due to such an acceleration of feelings that threatened to suffocate the brunette.

She was gradually coming undone.

Every kiss planted upon her honey coloured skin seemed to unhinge Regina. As her lips bit back moans and those brown eyes fluttered close.

Emma was searching, exploring. Her mouth was doing all the talking and for once in her life, she felt completely in control and deliciously enjoyed every second of it. Knowing that once she could open up like this with someone else, and to be granted permission to take what was hers, the younger woman felt sincerely powerful.

In all honesty, she had never imagined how it would feel to make love to Regina. Feeling how the brunette's body opened up as she captured those erect nipples between her lips and sucked gently at first. Then when the Regina's fingers raked through blonde hair, Emma was forced to delve in some more and to unearth deep, throaty moans that were like music to her ears.

Her tattoos weren't just body art, but those trails of black vines told a story at every turn. All the way down Regina's back and snaking under her heaving breasts. There were red butterflies, small enough for the blonde to kiss every one. And as she explored all the trails that begun from two inches below the older woman's neck and ended on her inner right thigh, Emma could literally feel the stories behind the ink.

Her body arched back, providing enough for the younger woman to devour. Those red painted lips trembled after every inch of her warm skin was kissed. Ravishing every curve. Kissing the swell of her hips.

Foreplay wasn't just something that could be predicted between them. She realized that even though her mind had wandered so many times since Valentine's night, nothing could compare to what unraveled between them. Especially when she began to delve deeper down south and her fingers fumbled with the zipper on Regina's jeans.

"Rip them off," the brunette's voice was so throaty, she was swimming in a pit of passion.

Her legs were parted further, toes beginning to point as she felt Emma's mouth pressing deeper down. Those blasted jeans were disgusting to come off. Gradually, even with the other woman's clumsy attempts, that article of clothing was pulled off and thrown aside. And that's when the real fun began.

She was wearing red lace panties. The kind that had little red bows on the front and that was enough to create a smirk on Emma's lips. To immediately pull them off would have been such a crime. Having Regina sit there, squirming on the window seat in just her black high heel boots and that tempting creation of lace.

"You're just going to…leave me like this?" Regina licked her lips and leaned back, her entire body on display for emerald eyes to roam over.

"I'm thinking if I should continue. Keeping us taking things slow in mind, and all…" She was on the ground, of course, leaning back on her hands with her knees bent.

"Emma, if you don't…" the brunette was breathless, "…continue," she was so hoarse, "I'll possibly turn you into stone."

"The threats," emerald eyes showed fire behind them. And rising up from where she was, the blonde crawled forward again, ready to assert herself between those legs again.

She finally discovered what it was like to please a woman through the barrier of lace alone. By burying her mouth between Regina's legs, she managed to unearth not just a throaty moan, but the beginning of a small scream. Of course justice had to be done when that kind of sound met her ears. And finally discarding of that taunting red lace, she grabbed the brunette's thighs and delved in to claim what had only been dreamed of.

Twisting and clawing. Regina captured blonde hair within her fists as every ounce of energy she had was turned into waves of pleasure.

Deeper and deeper, Emma roamed, her mouth sucking and chewing on that one spot that was the gateway to shattering the brunette; mind, body and soul.

So much passion rippled through her, that she couldn't stifle her screams from biting those red painted lips. So that her lipstick became smudged. Beads of sweat began to crawl down her exposed body. And finally, Emma slipped not one, but two fingers neatly into the older woman.

The thrusting that ensued was slow at first. Slow and dangerously tormenting, to a point where the brunette urged the younger woman to quicken her pace. Because she needed to find that rhythm. She needed to find it fast. As deliciously pleasurable as it was already, Regina wanted so much more. And that's exactly what Emma delivered, by sucking and using her fingers.

It was magical.

To discover the kind of reaction they drew out from each other. Complete awe showing in both pairs of eyes and through it all, Emma began to believe that this was something she could get used to forever. Making love to Regina in a way that seemed to push her towards the boundary of sanity where the fall was met by both of them.

When the older woman did come undone, she let go whilst her body convulsed from waves of pleasure. Again and again. Sweat trailed down her neck and matted dark hair curled behind the brunette's ears. Her heart sighed, falling and drowning. She stopped breathing for a long time. And allowed herself to fall apart. Trembling, and crying out.

Emma felt every move she made. She tasted every wave and savoured it. So much, that when the blonde did get up, her body was trembling as well. It was then that she decided to take things a little further into the depths of the house. And scooping the other woman into her arms, Emma weakly carried Regina into the bedroom where the space was illuminated by a warming yellow lamp and the bed was softer than she could ever bargain for.

The brunette tumbled onto the pink satin sheets and she appeared almost too beautiful with her dark hair fanning out, eyeliner and lipstick smudged.

Emma found herself gazing at the formation of a woman before her that was never considered as the devil. But merely a divine angel, waiting on just the right person to sail her into the kind of night that offered only the purest of pleasure. Never pain. Pain was not an option at all in this. Although they had been giving each other a turn around the wheel of angst.

But even as she stood there, admiring Regina upon the bed between her sheet, the blonde realized that she possibly was the luckiest woman in the entire world, including other realms. The curves of her body. The way she was graceful and perfectly crafted. Every inch of her was beautiful. From the way her dark hair was so silky, softer to the touch. To the depth of her hips. The curl of her lips. Her flawless feet.

She was the definition of a Queen.

Because even though her soul had been shattered within, Regina was completely gorgeous on the outside.

"Undress for me," the brunette croaked. She licked her lips and settled back onto the bed a little more. Her red painted nails dug into the sheet. "Slowly."

It was something out of the ordinary. In fact, she hadn't been expecting that kind of suggestion. She would have lunged onto the other woman and devoured her whilst somehow managing to rip off her own clothes in the process.

But to undress…

Emma nodded, fire dancing behind her eyes. And she began to peel off her layers of clothing bit by bit.

All the while, Regina was choking on passion. She couldn't conceal her amazement whilst the other woman unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it aside. Brown orbs rested on the swell of fair breasts and stayed there for a long time, even as Emma proceeded to unzip her jeans.

Those went next, followed by her fingers raking through blonde hair as she brought chunks of it forward for show.

Regina couldn't breathe. "All." She only could muster up one word. "Now."

"You mean…" Emma gestured at her black bra, a little silver star clipped between the cups.

"Yes. And…" the brunette jerked her chin, showing exactly where all attention rested on with those brown eyes. "That."

"Amazing how you become a woman of fewer words in the bedroom," the younger woman smiled, although her heart was hammering away.

She was beginning to understand why the collision of two women in the most intimate way ever could erase any doubt on what kind of sex was the most pleasurable of all. Because from the moment she discarded those articles of clothing remaining, and she climbed onto the bed and on top of the other woman, Emma felt how dangerously close they were. And she wanted it all.

They made love in the most passionate way that night. Slow and deep. Taking their time with each other and exploring what their bodies reacted to.

It was like learning something refreshing enough to treasure forever. It was like knowing what to do and yet…not knowing how the knowledge had come about. Because she was so familiar with her actions. The way she fitted herself upon Regina and their hips moved together. Becoming so entangled in each other instead of a feeling and finding that riding wave after wave of pleasure together, nothing in the world could compare to their connection.

All the while she entwined their fingers and kept things that way whilst the brunette allowed herself to be controlled. Even when their legs knotted together and they fell onto their sides, the deepest form of lovemaking still continued to build to a crescendo.

Emma felt herself bursting through it all, especially when Regina began to thrust into her with the aid of two kinked fingers. Slowly but then faster. And faster. Both of them tormenting each other until their backs arched and their screams filled the air. Their writhing bodies wetted the sheets. Their toes curled. Their eyes squeezed shut as orgasms rippled through them both until their lungs failed to fall into normal operations.

Funny, it was, how time could pass when the best feeling of all was being experienced. She just had to turn the older woman over and kiss the trail of tattoos all the way down to between those soft inner thighs. Feeling how Regina trembled under her. Knowing that once she could unearth these kinds of reactions from someone, then she meant something more than just existing. She meant the world to the brunette.

It wasn't just the way the older woman's body responded that awakened the blonde's mind. But it was the way she constantly wanted their fingers to entwine through it all. If not both their hands, but just one. Almost like feeling that that simple union would mean so much. That letting go of Emma's hands would mean she was losing her in some small way. Because distance had almost killed them over the past days.

Distance had become the enemy.

Even when she settled back onto the soft pillow with Regina's face buried into her chest, Emma couldn't think of anything else. They were inside their own box, making memories that would last a lifetime. Memories that fate had willed up, from a connection that had been powerful from the moment the blonde was born.

As her curled fingers caressed Regina's cheek, Emma could feel their hearts beating together. She could feel how the older woman was still on fire. Her breath was warm, and soothing. Her smell was intoxicating and had rubbed off on the blonde until she couldn't think of anything else but that light fruity smell.

"You're amazing," Emma whispered, pressing a kiss onto dark hair. She felt like they were floating on a cloud.

Regina snuggled deeper into her. She mewled, entwining their legs further where those red painted lips rested just on the other woman's breast.

The fact that she didn't provide a response wasn't that bad. Emma realized that she had really worn out the older woman, to a point where Regina had weakly settled herself back onto the bed afterwards. Nothing had been said between them after the last ride of orgasms. But that wasn't troubling at all. Because Regina didn't have to tell her how much she enjoyed every second.

Her body had spoken so many times.

When sleep came, she was lost in a world of dreams that surrounded nothing but the two of them. Nothing but the future, where they were happily married and enjoying the fruits of their union. A baby, perhaps. A new home away from the ones they had grown familiar with. Where they could start their own story together.

The happiness in Regina's brown eyes was something that resonated with Emma throughout the night filled with dreams. Around every corner, the brunette seemed so radiant, because her pieces had been drifting closer together. She was being healed after all that pain and anguish. Her past didn't seem to matter anymore. Her future mended all the broken shards.

When she woke up the next morning, the first thing Emma savoured was the feel of someone special nestled in her arms. Knowing that that special person wasn't just a one night stand, but someone who was supposed to be treasured and loved beyond anything else. And that special someone wasn't a man, but a woman. Possibly the most beautiful woman ever.

She remained next to the brunette for a long time afterwards, even though it was after seven and work was at the top of the hour.

Emma realized that she was possibly love sick.

Their clothes were scattered all around. Regina's green sweater was somewhere in the living room, along with her blue jeans; one leg on the wrong side. Her bra was probably somewhere on the couch. Her red lace panty…

When she finally managed to untangle herself from the older woman's arms, the blonde dragged her feet into the outer room and those emerald eyes scanned the scene. Of course, her gaze rested for a long time on that window seat. The dent was still there on the cushion, where Regina had been twisting from pleasure. The blind was creased, where she had grabbed onto without realizing it.

She did find the red panty, sleeping on the pizza box and Emma collected each article of clothing with a wide smile playing upon her lips.

The morning after was like the beginning of a brand new life. Finding that she became lost in just gazing through the window above the kitchen sink. The way how sounds were sharper now. How smells drifted in from the freshness of the morning after a night of rain. She hadn't even heard when the downpour had flourished the town. Sleep had been so deep.

Just as she was preparing two cans of tuna and had popped four slices of bread into the toaster, Emma could literally feel Regina's presence behind her without even turning around to acknowledge it.

"Someone's finally awake," she smiled whilst stirring up the tuna.

The chair creaked behind her.

No morning kiss? Well, they would need to work on that, she thought to herself.

Maybe the night had been too pressing on the brunette's energy because she seemed tired still. Her brown eyes blinked slowly when Emma turned around to consider the love of her life.

Regina was flushed. She had pulled on one of the blonde's tank tops, a red one, and the swell of her breasts, nipples too, were quite evident through the thin material. Emma's black shorts was entirely cute on her as well, with two tiny pink bows on the waistband.

"I made tuna with toast," the blonde tried a smile although she felt somewhat unsettled from how Regina avoided making eye contact with her. "Want some?"

"Yes," the older woman nodded. She cleared her throat, and sounded rather hoarser than usual. "Please."

Emma began to prepare two plates at the same time. But just then, the spoon froze in midair and she turned around.

"Is…everything okay?" she just had to ask. Worry was swimming around her mind. "Between us?"

Finally, the brunette lifted her eyes to meet emerald ones. She seemed confused. "Of course it is. Why?"

That weight on her chest drifted away. Emma sighed. "You just look…I don't know…unsettled about something."

Regina half smiled. She curled her shoulders forward. Elbows resting on the table, the older woman drove fingers through her dark, disheveled hair.

"I'm just tired," she tilted her head. "My body is literally still weak from…" The brunette's lips settled together as her gaze deepened on Emma and her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah I know," the blonde turned back to the plates and resumed dishing out their breakfast. "You came more than me. Pretty intense too. I think you should have two cups of coffee and a double breakfast."

"Well with your assistance, I will agree," Regina's voice was so hoarse, the younger woman couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "And don't laugh at me, Emma Swan. This is all your doing."

"Really, I…had no idea."

The blonde rested their plates upon the table and she collected the slices of bread. Then settling herself in a chair closer to the other woman, she offered up a smile before attacking her plate.

"If anyone had told me that having a woman make love to me could possibly drive me insane to a point where I feel so drained," Regina said, breaking her toast into two, "I wouldn't have believed a word of it."

"Until now," Emma chewed on her slice. Humor twinkled in those emerald eyes. "Not my fault if none of the others could do the job better than me."

"Or maybe…" the brunette narrowed her eyes, "you were just meant to push me to a place where no other person can."

"You really could scream though." The blonde picked up a chunk of tuna between her fingers and chewed on it. She was smiling.

Regina scowled. "Thanks to you, now I'm hoarse, my throat aches."

"Look at it this way," Emma contributed, "you don't have any meetings today. It's Saturday. Plus you don't have to hide your hickies. I mean," she watched the older woman's fingers fly up to her neck, feeling around, "they'll kind of fade by Monday."

"How many are they?" Regina croaked. Those brown eyes widened.

"Like three." The blonde tilted her head. "But there are plenty more on the rest of you."

"Like to mark your territory, don't you?" the older woman smirked. "You practically devoured every part of me last night, down to my toes. I feel…raw."

"Good," Emma nodded. "Had to make sure I covered everywhere. Just in case some small part of you felt left out."

"Idiot," Regina smiled nevertheless.

The blonde reached across the table and slowly caressed Regina's right cheek with cupped fingers. "I'm your idiot," she said softly. "Just remember that."


	14. My Insane Family

"Hmm, I don't know," Emma shrugged, dangling her hands between parted thighs. "I guess it feels like…" she inhaled deeply. "It never gets old, you know?"

Ruby nodded. So did Snow.

"Like every single day I see her and I get to be with her, all of it feels brand new again. Kind of like tasting something for the first time over and over again. I know I sound totally stupid," the blonde held up her hands defensively but smiled nevertheless.

Ruby shook her head. Snow's cheeks had coloured.

They were seated on a pavilion behind the high school, the three of them simply chatting among themselves as Henry was engaged in a game of basketball. For an hour already, it would seem that long. But to the three of them, the conversation was too delicious to even tempt them to get up and leave. So they had decided to wait on him until after the game.

"It's been two weeks already," Snow said. She seemed pleased. "I would like this to last longer."

"Yeah, make it like two decades," Ruby nudged Emma's shoulder. "I've never seen Regina like this. I mean, she's…totally changed. She smiles at me _a lot_. And that's…something."

"It's the Regina I first encountered," Snow said softly, playing with the ends of her yellow sleeves. "The one who rescued me that day. The same…look in her eyes as she smiled and hugged me. She was so happy back then. And now…" her eyes met Emma's, "…she's happy again. Thanks to you."

The blonde couldn't help but become all mushy inside. Especially when she considered how far they had come and how they had changed each other.

"You two don't fight, do you?" Lucas wanted to know. She frowned. "Like before?"

"Nah," Swan told them confidently. "I've learned to read her easily. So that if I bring up something she doesn't seem to like, I can pick it up right away and change the topic."

"Unless it's something you want to say…" Ruby leaned in a little. "Something that has to come off your chest."

"She knows when she must say things," Snow said. "She knows what's right."

"I find that I hardly have any disagreements with her now," the blonde lifted her head as Henry shot the ball through the hoop. The other boys cheered. "We've…settled."

"You've reached the same level," her mother provided with a nod. "It's a place that's hard to reach in a relationship. Sometimes it takes years. But once you open up yourself and realize that it's not all about you, that compromise happens. I'm glad that you two are there so soon."

"Thank the fucking moon," Ruby said smiling. "After all the grounds you've shaken with her. I'm impressed."

Henry waved at them. Emma was the only one who noted the signal and she waved back. The boys were heading off to gather up their things. Which meant that his practice had come to an end.

At times like these, she just wished that staying out in a different scenery could last for more than two hours. For more than it was already. She just wanted find some place where things didn't interfere with her everyday life. And Emma wanted to stay there for a while.

Not that she wasn't aching to run home and snuggle up into Regina's arms.

But some alone time. Taking time out to savour nature. Or the peace. Maybe the rustle of the leaves in the trees and the way the sun would sink low behind them, splashing the sky with orange and pink.

"I'll walk you home," Ruby told Snow as they lazily rose up, stretching their arms. "Ready?"

After she gave her daughter one last nod followed by a smile, the short hair brunette slowly descended the pavilion's steps behind Lucas' tall form. The latter had on stilettos, as was normal for her character.

Emma's eyes rested on their forms as they drifted towards the gate and exited, bumping shoulders along the way.

He took his time, as expected to change into fresh clothes. The blonde realized that her son was slowly metamorphosing into a young man who really paid attention to his physical appearance. If not for Violet, to match the other boys in his friend circle and anyone else who admired him.

In the meantime, Emma found herself admiring the sunset behind the trees and she savoured every minute of it. By then, Regina would be home, and after slipping out of her work clothes, she would settle in front of the television to catch Young and the Restless. Another episode, and another round of ridiculous drama.

The blonde could never understand why people found the show so darn interesting after all these years. Her cup of tea would have been some gritty crime show like NCIS or CSI. But Regina was all into the romantic drama. Although her life now had settled into a romance that was quite toe curling and promising.

When Henry finally showed himself, he reeked of cologne that lightened her heart a bit. Knowing that he was this particular about hygiene, she smiled inwardly and reflected on the possibility of Regina rubbing off on their son.

"Shot two hoops, but it wasn't good enough," he said as they walked along. She had offered to take his bag but he declined.

Emma playfully punched his left arm. "Was good enough to me."

"You were too caught up in talking to Ruby and grandma to even pay attention," he didn't seem upset.

She tugged him across the street and shrugged afterwards. "I saw you shoot one. I've seen you shoot like a million over the past year."

Henry smiled. "What were you talking about up there? Back in the Enchanted Forest edition? Or…"

She grabbed him around his shoulders and laughed. Of course tried to detach himself but failed.

"We were talking about your mom," Emma said, her blonde hair touching his shoulder as they walked along together.

"Yeah? What about her?"

"You know…stuff."

Henry laughed. "The fact that you love her so much, you two end up wearing each other's clothes now?"

"Hey!" She ruffled his hair.

"Don't think that I haven't noticed," he told her humorously. "You two haven't even moved in together but she's been spending so many nights at your place. I'm glad the two of you are happy. Although I get really uncomfortable when you start kissing her."

"Really?" she considered his face. He was blushing.

"Yeah, like yesterday when she came to pick us up at the library and you two kissed in front the guys," he sighed. "I still can't hear the end of it."

"What are they saying?" Emma smiled.

"Stuff like…gosh, your moms are lesbians. They think lesbians are hot. Typical guy stuff. And mostly…" he tugged her arm when she started laughing, "…mostly they're the ones who talk crap about gay rights and stuff. But when it comes to you two…they're fans."

She didn't expect any different. "It happens," Emma said to him. "Guys are generally more supportive of two women kissing than two men."

"Well I'm supportive of the entire LGBT community," Henry said to her, unearthing a look of awe. "Because since I was a kid, and mom would leave me at the Diner with Ruby to watch me, she'd tell me about not judging anyone. And about which girl she was crushing on. Hey," he held onto Emma's arm and his eyes widened. "Did you know Ruby used to have a serious crush on Regina?"

Emma had been expecting that for a long time. But to actually listen to Henry bring it to light, she was somewhat surprised.

"Who didn't have a crush on Regina besides Granny?" the blonde asked her son.

He in turn, laughed it off. "You never know. Maybe Granny did too."

"I don't doubt that…" Emma narrowed her eyes whilst smiling. "Kind of like knowing that it's unavoidable and she would –" the familiar sound of a car horn behind them interrupted her sentence.

Both she and Henry stopped walking and spun around to consider who it was. When the nose of the Mercedes Benz was noted, and the driver waving at them, Emma's heart literally fluttered about in her chest.

What the…

She was supposed to be home by now.

Henry seemed as stunned as she was.

"Regina!" he waved back and considered the blonde, "what's she doing here?"

"Beats me," Emma shrugged at him.

Both of them jogged over to the car parked by the curb. The window rolled down smoothly as Regina's well made up face and red painted lips greeted them. She was chewing gum, and still checking the rear of her car in the mirror.

"Hop in, you two," the brunette still had both hands on the wheel. "Before I have to fight someone who wants to give me a ticket."

Emma scoffed. "Babe, I'm the Sheriff. In case you forgot."

Those brown eyes turned on her. Regina narrowed them. "I'm the Mayor," she returned without a smile.

Henry snorted. Without wasting any time, he pulled open the door to the backseat and hopped in, throwing his bag into the space.

"Who're you trying to sass up?" Emma planted both hands on her hips and smiled. "Me?"

The older woman chewed slowly. "Get in."

"Or else what?" The blonde smirked.

"Darling, you really don't want me to start listing your punishments in front of Henry."

"No, you don't!" their son agreed from the backseat. "Or else I'm going to run all the way to grandma's house. I swear."

Eventually, the blonde climbed into the front seat alongside the smirking brunette. She had no idea where the journey was going to lead, but believed that they were merely offered a free ride home. Especially noting how the older woman was still in her work attire; a black pants suit with a red satin shirt underneath.

But when the car rolled by the turn off into Mifflin Street, emerald eyes turned to consider the side of Regina's cheek. She seemed…she was glowing for some odd reason. Her skin appeared so radiant. Something was happening. Something…strange. Then as if reading her mind, the older woman turned to consider the blonde. She smiled.

"Hey, now's a good time to tell me if you two are taking me out of Storybrooke," Henry piped up from the backseat. He came forward and hung onto the backs of the front seats, arms dangling. "I need to at least pack some clothes."

"We aren't…leaving Storybrooke," Regina said, gripping the steering wheel and eyes focused forward.

"Then…where are we headed?" Emma asked out loud.

The brunette sighed. "Calm down. Before I throw you out."

"I'm not…" the younger woman began in a rush. Realizing that Regina was smiling, she scowled. "Look, whatever, Darcy."

The reference apparently drove Henry into a wave of deep interest. He leaned forward a little and laughed. The comparison between the couple in the book was really hilarious. Realizing that the brunette was indeed as sophisticated and at times really stubborn like Darcy. And Emma could be entirely childish and quite like Lizzie Bennet.

"It's perfect," he said.

The brunette frowned. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror. "What is?"

Emma sighed, raking fingers through her hair. "I'm going to sit here and pretend that I understand every reference to the book you two are going to make."

"I can't believe you've never reread Pride and Prejudice," Regina glanced at her, obviously astonished. "You choose to read all these…thrillers that fill your head with nightmares. Instead of settling down with a good classic."

"That's something Darcy would say," Henry's face appeared boyish as he settled into the feeling of deeply appreciating the conversation on good literature.

"I also have the estate on Mifflin Street," Regina continued, her eyes connecting with Henry, "I own a sizeable library. Am wealthy enough. Sophisticated."

"Would you like the three of us to go back to my parents' apartment so I can sit down and do some needlework whilst you ask dad for my hand in marriage?" Emma contributed whilst turning sideways in her seat.

The brunette scrunched up her face. She gripped the steering wheel tighter then relaxed a little. "Nah. I prefer to propose to you under my apple tree. The same one you took a damn chainsaw to in your earlier days in town."

They had a good laugh over that one. The younger woman couldn't help but envision that scene. A proposal. That would come some day for sure; she wanted to believe. She wanted to believe that it was possible. That it would happen definitely. And if she wasn't satisfied with the prolonged period of waiting, then she would obviously jump ahead and make the offer first.

She wanted to give them at least another year the most because they had known each other so long already. And making that final leap wasn't going to be awkward at first. But it would feel damn right. Comfortable. Making ends meet officially.

All the while whilst she was dreaming about getting down on her knee to propose to Regina, the brunette had swung into a narrow path that led to the beach. The nose of the car pushed forward as the conversation died down between mother and son. And Emma couldn't help but wonder what in the world the brunette had up her sleeves.

In fact, from the moment she realized that the car neared the waterfront cuisine bar that had been becoming popular as the days went by, both the blonde and Henry smiled.

She had been there twice. Both times to savour the delicious chicken burger topped off with a serving of seasoned fries and the best green sauce in the entire world. And both times, she had been there by herself. To let off some steam. To get away from the hustle and bustle of the town and wind down after a long day or a long day.

"I just thought that we could grab an early dinner, just the three of us," Regina said when they got out of the car and she locked the doors. Her keys jingled as the waves crashed onto the shore just ahead. "After all, we're closer as a family now. So it's only fitting that we have the opportunity to share moments apart from at home together."

"I like it," Henry said, swinging his arms back and forth. He was beaming at both his moms.

"I'm famished," Emma said in return and without waiting, she led the way.

Regina threw a glance at her son and both of them shook their head whilst smiling. Of course the blonde would head on out first. Knowing that her stomach would constantly steer her actions.

They found a nice table just on the balcony overlooking the waterfront as the sun sank lower. The evening rolled in, with darker tones gradually whilst they settled in and awaited their orders. At times, nothing was said between them, but the savouring of the moment. And then, Henry felt it necessary to address something that had been settling on his chest for some time.

He cleared his throat since Emma was gazing into the sunset and Regina was deeply considering her with loving eyes.

"Moms, I just want to say that…" both of them turned to look at him immediately. He smiled, and lowered his eyes. Henry fumbled with the bottom of his shirt. "I'm so happy that you two have reached where you are. And it's something that I've actually wanted ever since I first met Emma so many years ago and I brought her here. I just wanted…a family again. Over the years," he noted how Regina's eyes glistened.

"I've met my real dad. I've seen how mom wanted me to have a family to connect with. But she really struggled to make me happy whilst she wasn't really comfortable at all. You too, mom." His eyes met the brunette's. "You've really had it so bad and I'm so sorry for everything that has happened to you."

"You're going to make her cry," Emma's smiled from across the table.

Regina's lips quivered as she weakly smiled. "You have no need to be sorry, Henry," she croaked.

"No, I am. Because I was the one who turned Emma against you in the beginning –"

"Old stories, kid," the blonde waved it off with a little chuckle.

"Each fight brought us closer," Regina said, gazing at the other woman.

Henry sighed. He wasn't finished. "I just always wanted you two to be happy. And I've got to say that I loved my dad a lot. But the other guys you two were with. Especially Hook," he scrunched up his face. "I didn't really like them."

Emma shrugged. "Killian could never be a father to you because he didn't ever understand what the role meant. How important it was to a child." Her eyes connected with Regina's. "I remember when I found out he killed his dad and my grandfather. What a cold hearted scoundrel he was."

The brunette was smirking. She really enjoyed those moments when the younger woman reflected on the bad taste of Killian Jones.

"And Robin had Roland and for some odd reason, he didn't seem to care about me at all," Henry confessed. "Not that I took feelings from it. But every single time he got the opportunity, he always wanted me to babysit Roland. He never even wanted to talk to me."

"Robin was an outlaw," Emma licked her lips after sipping some coke. "He found himself a sexy woman. He had all these years roaming the countryside with all these men. And he just wanted one thing –"

"Swan!" Regina's brown eyes had widened.

The blonde almost choked as she was sipping some more soda.

Henry had to laugh heartily after that.

"The kid's almost eighteen! He knows about…" Emma shrugged, "…you know. Sheesh." She coughed some more. "I almost freaking drowned! In a can of coke!"

"I will deal with you later," Regina glared at her, but not too harshly. Her eyes settled on Henry. "Sweetheart, Robin did care about you. He just had a funny way of showing it."

"The man used to shoot daggers with his eyes in my direction," Emma cut in, her voice rising. "We never could carry on a conversation and he would always get in between you and me whenever we were talking. I thought it was so damn rude, the way he just planted himself between us."

"She was jealous," Regina explained to Henry with a smirk. "Obviously expected."

He nodded. "Seems like he was jealous too. Just saying."

"Of course he was," the brunette noted. "He always lamented on how I was pining over Emma. And he oftentimes questioned my relationship with her. I was so tempted to tell him that she dragged me into my vault and tried to kiss me before." Her brown eyes sparkled. "Just so that he would worry."

There was silence.

Within that silence, something changed in Henry's eyes. He suddenly stared from one woman to the other with widened eyes. His lips remained slightly apart.

"Wait," he leaned forward and considered their faces. "Did you…" his stare settled on Emma, "…did you really do that?"

"Before or after Tsunami Robin and Hook?" the blonde settled back in her chair, legs parted of course.

Regina snorted.

"I'm talking about before," Henry leaned forward, "in fact, you know what? I want to know if the two of you ever tried anything on each other like at the beginning."

More silence.

Emma stared at Regina.

"There was this time when she got really high," the blonde began, "it was after we got back from Neverland. We were in the Diner," brown eyes grew as wide as saucers. "And everyone left except for your granddad, me, Ruby, and…" she smiled at Regina. "…Your mom. She had a few. She was pretty high that night."

Henry was so interested in the story, he smiled from ear to ear. "Yeah?"

"David started dancing with Ruby, and I was laughing at them when your mom," she jerked her chin at Regina, "she suddenly yanked me up and pulled me closer to her. Then just when I was recovering from the hell she was doing, she started dancing all over me."

"I did not!" the brunette said defensively. Her cheeks coloured though.

"Couldn't remember a second of it," Emma told Henry. "You can ask Ruby. She remembered. Regina grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go. Then she started telling me how I was so sexy, and me being the Savior made her feel so mushy inside. And she kept asking me to take her home."

Stunned, the older woman sat back, and folded her arms.

"I did take her home," the blonde said. She pressed her lips together and studied Regina's face. "She fell asleep in my arms and I just tossed her on the bed, clothes and all. And I left her there."

Henry was laughing so hard.

"You savage," the older woman glared back. "No shame. You know, if it was me taking you home, I would have at least tucked you in. I would have stayed with you."

"Lies!" Emma threw back. "Henry, do you believe this?"

"I would have!" Regina protested. "I swear."

He settled back and admired how they argued with each other, with love in their eyes nevertheless. It was times like these he dreamed of. Sharing a moment like this with his kind of family. Two moms. Two amazing women. His role models. He loved them so much.

Sitting there, he felt so…satisfied with everything thus far. How everything had turned out. When he had brought Emma to Storybrooke, he had no idea that the two of them would end up together. But he had wanted them to get along, just enough to stop fighting. So here they were.

Emma had promised to give Regina her happy ending.

And she WAS her happy ending.

"I would have slept like a cat at your feet," the brunette was saying. "Curled up. But guess what? The Savior…MY Savior, didn't even stick around to make sure I was okay."

"Alright, alright," Emma held up her hands defensively. "Alright, man. I'll make it up to you. I'll buy you chocolates…"

Regina pouted. She folded her arms again and appeared like a petulant child. "I don't want your chocolates."

Henry shook his head, enjoying the scene.

"So you want me to like literally turn myself into a cat and curl up at your feet?" emerald eyes sparkled. "Would that make you happy, your Majesty?"

"No," Regina avoided eye contact. She pouted even more. "Don't talk to me."

Emma sighed. She sipped on her coke.

"Cosmo," the brunette whispered.

The younger woman stared across the table. She inhaled deeply. "What did you just call me?"

"I called you Cosmo!" Regina sat forward and made a face.

Emma's lips twitched. She flexed her fingers and sat back. Then sat forward. "I'm no freaking Cosmo."

"You are!" the brunette pelted back.

"I'm not!" the blonde returned.

"Are too!"

"I'm not!"

"Cosmo!"

Henry sat back, arms folded and he sighed. "And I'm the one they call a 'kid' all the time," he muttered with a smile.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

He could get used to this.

He could really get used to this.

His new life.

With two crazy moms.

"Guess who's not cooking tomorrow," Regina sassed back in her hoarse voice. She gestured at herself. "Me."

"No wait," Emma held out a hand, her eyes darting to Henry. "Wait one goddamn minute."

"I'm not cooking."

"Well," Henry shrugged, he was enjoying this, "there's pizza?"

The younger woman beamed at him. They highfived. "See? I raised this kid right. In the few years I've had with him. He knows what's up."

Regina scoffed. She inhaled deeply and remained quiet.

"Two large. Extra cheese. Don't go easy on the pepperoni," Henry contributed.

"Yeah! Oh hell yeah!" Emma's emerald eyes were shining.

"It's a pity that you wouldn't be able to pay for those. Since you haven't been paid for the month yet and you've drained all your funds on car repairs. And…" Regina smirked when the blonde stared back. "I'm not paying for any junk food. As promised –"

"Mom!" Henry was crestfallen.

"No junk food. Whatsoever in my house. None." The older woman folded her arms.

"That only leaves us with one solution…" Emma said softly.

"And what's that?"

The blonde's smile widened incredulously. "Means you still have to cook. Since I use extra cheese and oil and all the fatty stuff you can't eat."

The older woman's grin faltered. She scowled. "Guess I'll just deprive you of something else since you've done this to me."

"I've done nothing to you!"

"You have!" Regina's lips twitched into a smile.

"You can't…deprive me!"

Henry groaned. His head lolled around on his folded arms upon the table. Here we go.

"Sit there. Be quiet and control yourself, you idiot."

"Call me Cosmo one more time," Emma invited, beckoning with her arms. "Come on. Let me lunge over the table and literally fight you."

Regina blinked slowly. She considered Henry peeking at her from within his folded arms.

"Cosmo," she whispered.

The blonde growled. Rising up, she leapt around the table and engulfed the older woman in a tight hug, burying her face into amazingly silky dark hair.

"My family," Henry muttered. "My insane little family." He sighed.


End file.
